Katz Organic December's New Oil...FRESH FROM THE GROVE
375 ml. bottle
2009 Olio Nuovo In Our Limited-Edition Silk Screened Bottle Is Now Sold Out

With all the anticipation and planning that goes into our olive harvest, late October through early December is a very special time in the Suisun Valley, and there is no question... it’s my favorite time of year. I begin my daily visits to the olive groves in late October, and we usually start picking around the first of November. It is a month-long process to pick and press the olives that are used to make all of our certified organic olive oils – first our December’s New Oil, and then our Rock Hill Ranch and KATZ Chef’s Pick.

The first olive oil off the press each year has a pungent, fruity and rustic character. It has long been a tradition in Italy to celebrate this new olive oil each year. In Northern Italy it is referred to as olio nuovo, in Southern Italy as olio novello, and here at Katz and Company we refer to it as December’s New Oil. It’s the first expression of the olive harvest, and while the time to savor it is fleeting, it is oh so enjoyable. Oil in this stage is still rich with suspended particles of chlorophyll-laden olive that give it a bold, green color, a truly unctuous texture, and an intense flavor.

The oil begins to settle out as soon as it is pressed, but it won’t be until we are into the New Year - around two months after bottling - that much of the explosive flavor will mellow and mature, allowing for a more stable and long lasting oil. But then again, no one buys our December’s New Oil to let it sit on the shelf…they buy it to enjoy the heightened color and flavor in some simple but traditional ways…a good loaf of rustic bread, sliced and grilled, then slathered with KATZ Organic December’s New Oil and lightly sprinkled with a pinch of good salt – this is always our first taste - as it is in Italy with olio nuovo and olio novello.

The goal is to highlight the rustic charm of the new oil with a few simple ingredients, and there is no end to the number of ways you can showcase its amazing flavor. Poached eggs over toast, a hearty lentil soup with some fresh kale or chard, creamy polenta with a with a simply roasted chicken or duck, and grilled fish all finished with a liberal drizzle of December’s New Oil…

The 2009 Katz Organic December's New Oil will be a blend of our very limited Allegra olives (see image to the right), Taggiasca and Leccino harvested over the first two weeks, blended over Thanksgiving and sent to you just a few days after bottling.

But no matter what you do with your KATZ Organic December’s New Oil, use it up quickly with passion and gusto!

Very limited...