Bay Area Foodie

imported Mediterranean olive trees

I read about the Round Pond olive oil tour and tasting on Giada’s Weekend Getaway to Napa recap on the food network website. It sounded like fun so Mike and I went July 26th. The tour was very private with only 6 people. It began outside next to the olive trees with a discussion about the family-run business. Then we moved inside the mill and learned how the olives are processed. I didn’t know this but olive oil is only pressed one time during the year (November) so we didn’t get to see the equipment in action. The tour portion ended and we went onto the tasting which included taking shots of the Round Pond Italian and Spanish olive oils as well as their lemon and orange infused oils. Mike and I preferred the peppery Italian blend to the fruity Spanish and the zesty blood orange over the delicate lemon. Next we tasted their two gourmet red wine vinegars by drenching a sugar cube and sucking out the juice. Odd procedure but deliciously sweet. We enjoyed the Sangiovese vinegar best. To finish things off we were given heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, bread, strawberries and mixed greens to try all the varietals with food. We had a foodie feast!

Mike and I highly recommend this unique experience. If you’re going to be in Napa for a number of days it’s a wonderful alternative to going to yet another wine tasting. I will definitely go back, hopefully during the harvest.

mill

tasting room

olive oils

(click images to enlarge)

Tasty Tip: Appointments required. 1.5 hours / $25 per person
Website: http://www.roundpond.com

Filed under: Napa Valley | Tagged: food, napa, olive mill, olive oil, olive oil tour, Round Pond Estate, Rutherford, tasting |