Host Clark Wolf talks with Farmer-Founder Brooke Hazen of Gold Ridge Organic Farms about olive oil, apples, farming in Sonoma County and much more! 

Perched on the rolling hills of Sebastopol, Gold Ridge Organic Farms has become both a culinary and agricultural destination... Today, the property evokes a Tuscan villa, with the knowledgeable farmers and staff offering tastings, events, and award-winning artisanal estate products in its charming courtyard and farm shop.

...One of Brooke’s aims with the farm is to bridge culture and agriculture, and after one visit to Gold Ridge Organic Farms, you’ll discover that he has achieved that goal: [...] "The connection [being a Farm Triails member] offers with the consumers. After decades of being detached from the people who enjoy the food we produce, it feels so satisfying to meet those people and see first hand what it brings to their lives. Also, Farm Trails provides an invaluable opportunity for people to see and learn about what growing food really looks and feels like."

Photos by Lisa Rose

A fresh pick from the fall crop. As summer slides into fall, Sonoma County embraces apple harvest season in all its glory, from the aroma of the ripe pome fruit to the rattle of laden trucks to the myriad varieties beckoning at market stands...

Brooke Hazen founded Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol in 2000, on an 88-acre “blank canvas.“ There were no trees on the pastureland that his family purchased. In building the farm from scratch, he homed in on two crops—olives and apples—and emphasized diversification, planting different varieties of both. The olives outnumber the apples in acres occupied, approximately 70 to 17, but he has 13,000 trees of each. Ten percent of his apples are considered heirloom, with over 70 varieties.

Hazen defines heirloom apples, also called antique apples, as follows: The fruit must not be commercially grown on a large scale and “it has to be flat-out old,“ he says, though allows that this is a gray area. (His oldest is the Ananas Reinette, which dates to 1500s France.) Hazen’s third criterion is that the fruit has a history—in his words, “a path that it went on to get to where it is.”...

Hazen devised a novel way to purvey his heirloom table apples, aka dessert apples, or those eaten “fresh out of hand.” He sells roughly 2-pound bags through Whole Foods locations and Petaluma’s FEED Cooperative. Comprising six to nine varieties, Hazen says, “it’s almost like a gift pack that morphs every week because the varieties are constantly transitioning.” The ripe fruit generally journeys from tree to store to consumer within a day or two.

Hazen’s offerings encompass apples that are available early in the season. “I have Strawberry Parfait that ripens in late July,” he says. “By then, people have been eating stored apples or imports for months. So the early varieties are incredibly welcome.” August and September are his “real harvest months,” he adds.

A select team of judges spent a full day evaluating each entry [to the Sonoma County Harvest Fair] based on sensory attributes, quality and adherence to very specific category standards. The oil that came out on top and took home the fair’s highest honor with a Double Gold and Best of Show was a Picholine Blend EVOO from Sebastopol’s Gold Ridge Organic Farms. 

“We are blessed with one of the best growing environments for producing world class olive oils. It’s gratifying that the judges appreciated the quality of our picholine extra virgin oil this year,” said Brooke Hazen, Farmer/Owner of Gold Ridge Organic Farms.

North Bay farms and ranches are finding agritourism is a viable way to generate profits that will offset the rising cost of insurance, fuel, feed and labor.

As more ag businesses open their gates, individuals and non-ag businesses are learning the processes behind production and how agriculture benefits the natural environment. Agritourism is also helping farms and ranches conserve habitats for native species.

[...]

Gold Ridge Organic Farms (GROF) in Sebastopol, an organic olive, apple and citrus farm, showcases its award-winning olive oils and modern Rapanelli olive press to attract some of its guests.

GROF hosts custom crushing services with the press, as well as three levels of olive oil tastings, from introductory to immersive. It also holds cheese and heirloom apple pairings, farm tours, educational seminars on growing olives and apples and special seasonal events like the farm’s annual Heirloom Apple Celebration in mid-September.

“During our events we offer wood-fired pizzas, apple turnovers, ice cream with apple cider syrup, shrubs and more, all highlighting our own fresh, farm-to-table in season apples, citrus and (other) local produce,” says Brooke Hazen, owner of Gold Ridge Organic Farms.This summer, GROF will start construction of an event center that will become a larger venue for public and private events and tastings.

“We also just finished planting an apple U-Pick area for families and kids to learn, tour and harvest. We are in the midst of starting our first subscription fruit program,” says Hazen.

Goldridge Organic Farm is certified organic and has 70 acres of mixed olive trees plus 18 acres of apples and citrus. Apples kick off harvest season each July and Olives are harvested in November and December and are milled onsite to produce olive oil.

16 North Bay Artisan Producers Win ‘Good Food’ Awards

[...]The Good Food Foundation has announced this year’s “Good Food Award” winners at an event in Portland, Oregon. Among the winners this year were 16 food, cider and spirit producers in the North Bay, which were ranked among the best of the best.

The arbiter of taste for artisan producers, the Good Food Awards sift through thousands of entries each year—from honey and snacks to charcuterie and beer—to find the up-and-coming makers to watch... [Winners represent] sustainably made, socially conscious, credibly crafted items that are an “honest reflection of the best food and drink in America,” according to the Good Food Foundation.

 [...]

[Among this year’s list of local award winners is] Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Picholine Blend Extra Virgin [Olive Oil] (Sebastopol): In 2000, founder-farmer Brooke Hazen planted 70 acres of olives, 16 acres of heirloom apples, citrus fruit and lavender on his rambling farm. Hazen is passionate about everything he grows, and guests are invited to experience the farm via reservations. Frequent events include olive oil tastings, pizza pop-ups and apple tasting. Available at goldridgeorganicfarms.com.

[T]here’s no better place to see the blossoms’ full beauty than during a guided tour through Gold Ridge Organic Farms apple orchard [during the Apple Blossom Festival in Sebastopol]. Join farmer Brooke Hazen at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. April 27 as he leads you on a walk through some of his 12,000 apple trees, which are bursting with blooms in every imaginable shade of pink, white and violet... [T]ours will include a tasting of the farm’s apple products, including apple cider syrup, apple cider vinegar, and shrubs made with some of the citrus grown on the farm...

"We were also happy to see Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen who shared her insider view of Gold Ridge Farm Organic Farm olive oil over at the Olive Oil Professor and was offering samples of the precious oil to attendees. Like artisan cheese, locally made extra virgin olive oil is another staple of the wine country lifestyle"

Market Hall Foods is known for its comprehensive selection of superior extra virgin olive oils, including international standouts and a range of California oils from select producers up and down the state. [...] At these two free events [on April 6 & April 13], customers will meet the growers, millers, makers, and experts to learn by tasting about the diversity of varieties and flavor profiles now produced in California. Taste a range of oils from delicate to robust to meet different preferences and cooking needs [...] Come learn how to taste olive oil like a pro and find out the best ways to enjoy each of these high-quality new harvest extra virgin olive oils.

• Saturday, April 6, noon–3pm: Bondolio (Winters, CA), Gold Ridge Organic Farms (Sebastopol, CA), Séka Hills (Capay Valley, CA)

• Italian Blends: The Ranch at Birch Creek - Italian Blend
• Italian Single Varietal: Marcum Olive Oil - Itrana EVOO
• Spanish Single Varietals: Basque Away - 100% Arbequina
• Spanish Blends: High Top Ranch LLC - High Top Ranch EVOO
• Other Blends: Basque Away - Arbequina-Mission
• Other Single Variety: Wild Groves - Ascolano

• Basque Away - California Mission
• Basque Away - 100% Arbequina
• Basque Away - Arbequina-Mission
• Calistoga Press - Calistoga Press EVOO
• Enzo Olive Oil Co. - Delicate
• Gold Ridge Organic Farms - Picholine Blend
• High Top Ranch LLC - High Top Ranch EVOO
• Jubaea Estate - Tuscan Blend
• Macala Orchards - Sicilian
• Macala Orchards - Italian
• Marcum Olive Oil - Coratina EVOO
• Marcum Olive Oil - Itrana EVOO
• The Ranch at Birch Creek - Italian Blend
• The Ranch at Birch Creek - Estate Blend
• Rio Bravo Ranch - Miller's Reserve
• The Sunshine Olive Oil Co., LLC - Miller's Blend
• Tofino Estate - Supremo
• Wild Groves - Ascolano
• Wild Groves - Coratina
• Wild Groves - A2 Fruity Blend

• Badass Olive Oil - Badass Olive Oil
• Corto - Truly
• Dogtown Olive Oil - Dogtown EVOO
• Enzo Olive Oil Co. - Medium
• Enzo Olive Oil Co. - Bold
• Golden Harvest Estates - Golden Harvest Estates EVOO
• Little Paradise Farm - EVOO Organic Olive Oil
• LMR Wine Estates - Napa Valley Select
• OH Olive Oil - OH Organic Olive Oil
• Orange Blossom Family Farms - Tuscan Blend
• Rio Bravo Ranch - Picual
• Rio Bravo Ranch - Coratina
• The Sunshine Olive Oil Co., LLC - Tuscan Blend

• Visit our website: https://cooc.com
• Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOliveOilCouncil
• Explore with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/californiaevoo

It’s time for the 18th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival, happening from March 22-24. This much-loved festival, dedicated to celebrating the artistry of cheese-making, offers three days of gourmet delight, farm tours and educational experiences. [...]  The festival kicks off Friday with its signature Farm and Producer Tours [which] include curated offerings for every interest, including: “The Truly Artisan,” “Approachable Yet Refined with Cozy Lunch Vibes” or “Behind the Scenes Wines & Friendly Lunch” (with goats!). Tours will visit places like: Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Silver Penny Ranch, Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., Barber Lee Spirits, Marin French Cheese Co., Valley Ford Creamery, Black Kite Cellars and many more.

Discover the beauty of spring in Sonoma County. From farm tours to cooking classes, we have the perfect getaways for food lovers. Here are our favorite spring getaways — from farm tours to cooking classes — for those who love to celebrate good food.

Spring’s Apple Blossoms

The buzz these days may be all about bud break in the vineyards—but long before there were grapes in Sonoma County, there were apples. So many apples. At Gold Ridge Organic Farms in the rolling hills of Sebastopol, apples still reign supreme. “The apple orchards in spring erupt in a sea of flowers, ushering in one of my favorite sensory spectacles of the year,” says owner and farmer Brooke Hazen. “I am undecided which is more beautiful: the cornucopia of flowers in spring or the apples themselves in summer.”

With more than 12,000 apple trees and about 75 heirloom varieties, blossoms emerge in every imaginable shade of pink, violet, and white, providing food for honeybees and native bumblebees. Hazen leads walks through the rows to celebrate the season; taste his love for the versatile fruit in farm-fresh products including apple cider syrup, apple cider vinegar, and apple cider balsamic vinegar. Mandarin kumquats, Meyer lemons, and 13,000 olive trees also grow on the property. The farm hosts a “Spring Is Blossoming” celebration Saturday April 27.

Gold Ridge Organic Farms. 3387 Canfield Rd., Sebastopol, 707-823-3110, goldridgeorganicfarms.com

Meyer lemon pizza at Goldridge Organic Farms

Those who still remember the blistered pizzas of now-closed Zero Zero in SoMa will be pleased to know that chef Bruce Hill is baking up a small selection of pies at Goldridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol on select dates. On a recent rainy Saturday, locals in the know trekked to the hillside farm to try Hill’s pizza, backed by produce grown on the grounds. [...] A drizzle of Goldridge olive oil completed the slice, and it was a bright, citrusy bite that cheered up an otherwise dreary day. [...] I’m keeping my eyes peeled for good weather and the next time I can grab another slice of this rarified pie. - Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF

When Brooke Hazen, the owner of Gold Ridge Organic Farms, asked Sebastopol artist Teri Sloat to create a large mural above the bar in his tasting room, he had a pretty good idea of the kind of thing he’d be getting.  He already had several of her vibrant, fantastical, folk-art pastels in the tasting room. [...] Hazen and Sloat discussed what he wanted beforehand. “He was so clear about the colors, the way the light shines on things. You can tell that he loves the art of what he does, as well as the actual farming of what he does. He's very tuned in to the colors of the different fruits and olives. But he also gave me almost totally free license with the mural, which was a gift,” she said.

Sonoma is so much more than a wine-lover destination... For a unique tasting experience that isn’t wine, book an olive oil tasting appointment at Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol. The Olio Nuovo tastings are flavorful and informative, and you will never buy store-bought olive oil ever again!

In 1995, Brooke started his first farm on five acres of land in Sebastopol where he grew cool-season vegetables organically. Brooke sees himself as an “Earth Artist” and this first farm was where he began to hone his art. In 2000, he acquired the 88 acres that is now Gold Ridge Organic Farms. He remembers that move, “For me, this land was an extravagant canvas that I could now paint my wildest dreams on. I was already transforming into a perennial herb farmer and by the time we bought this parcel, I was looking at orchards. So I started out back in 2000 with heirloom apples, a diversity of table grapes, plums, Euro pears, and Asian pears... At that time, Honeycrisp was bursting on the scene... Today, 90% of the apples I have are split evenly between Fuji and Honeycrisp, and about 10% are still the heirloom apples. So I call the heirloom apples, ‘the spice’ and I call the Fuji and Honeycrisp, ‘the bread and butter.’”

Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Mandarin-Kumquat Shrub (Sebastopol): Gold Ridge Organic Farms’ Mandarin-Kumquat Shrub features organic mandarin-kumquat and citrus grown on the Gold Ridge estate, as well as a touch of sugar and small batch, barrel-aged apple cider vinegar and bay leaves.

Located 50 miles northwest of San Francisco, Gold Ridge Organic Farms is home to 70 acres of olives, 16 acres of heirloom apples, and a variety of citrus fruits.

For the Sebastopol-based farm, it's all about bringing the bounty of Sonoma County to the Bay Area and beyond.

"I purchased this land in 2000," expressed Founder-Farmer Brooke Hazen. "I was looking for what to grow on it, and so I was, from the start, very very interested in olives."

Hazen is a strong believer that olive oil is one of the healthiest sources of fat that we can consume.

"Olive oil has the highest percentage of monounsaturated fat and the lowest percentage of saturated and polyunsaturated fat, both of which can be harmful to our cardiovascular system," explained Hazen.

Gold Ridge Organic Farms harvests its olives and crafts small lots of olive oil at the farm's onsite mill.

"Our press, it is a Rapanelli press," described Hazen. "All of the presses that are in California...are from Europe."

The farm also offers custom olive milling and olive oil bottling services for conventional and Certified Organic growers.

"We produce about 4,000 gallons a year of olive oil here organically," said Hazen. "But, I also take in growers that are both organic and sometimes conventional too."

He added, "I like to give people the experience of picking their own olives and actually being able to consume their own olive oil from their own trees."

This holiday season, don’t give all your money to Amazon. Consider buying a gift made locally in Sonoma County by local farms, orchards, ranches and artisans [...] Brooke Hazen farms 88 acres of olives in the hills near Bloomfield and mills the olives on site to make a range of estate olive oils and olive-related products, in addition to growing heirloom apples, pears and citrus that go into such products as Lavender Lemonade and Mandarin-Kumquat shrubs. Reserve tastings and farm experiences are also possible, a great way to learn about the differences between extra-virgin and olio nuovo. 

Hear about travel to the wine region Sonoma County in California as the Amateur Traveler talks to Brooke Herron about this popular tourism region where she grew up.

Brooke joined us in the studio not only to share the history of the farm and how he got Gold Ridge Organic Farms started, but all of the amazing new features and directions he and his dedicated team are taking the farm. Tours, tastings and seminars are just a few of the ways that they’re celebrating the success and beauty of the farm! Make sure that you visit when you’re in town, you may see Marcy there!

Each year, olive oil lovers worldwide eagerly await that special first taste of olio nuovo, or new olive oil, from the new harvest.

What’s so special about olio nuovo?

Immediately after harvest, new oils are at their absolute freshest, spiciest, highest polyphenol levels and even more brilliantly hued. The sediments in olio nuovo—fresh from the press—haven’t yet had the time to settle, nor the flavors to mellow in the bottle...

Recently, I had a chance to sample two new releases [from Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol]: Apple Cider Balsamic and Apple Cider Vinegar.

One taste of the Gold Ridge Apple Cider Balsamic will instantly make you go “Wow!”

[…]

The Gold Ridge Apple Cider Vinegar has the concentrated taste of tart crisp apples. That vibrant apple taste really comes through in this small-batch product in a way that it doesn’t in most run-of-the-mill apple cider vinegars. 

Hazen, the owner of Gold Ridge Organic Farms, an 88-acre orchard and olive grove in Sonoma County, cultivated [a] new apple, grafting the mutation (or “sport,” in horticultural parlance) onto rootstock and naming it “Sea Breeze.” The name is a paean to the force that, before the rise of the wine grape, once made Sonoma famous as an apple-growing mecca. “The Pacific Ocean provides the perfect cooling climate for apple trees to thrive and fully express their nuances and variations,” Hazen says. “I’m not kidding when I say I’ve met people that were brought to tears by eating the Sea Breeze.”

There are over 7,500 apple varieties around the world (and counting), each with its own unique history. There are heirloom apples that have withstood the test of time, and new types of apples coming into being every year…. Behind every apple on this list is a dedicated farmer, producer, or historian that cares about the lineage and the preservation of these historic gems […] Farmer Brooke Hazen has been a steward of heirloom and modern apples alike for decades. 

A Is for Apple

Farmer Brooke Hazen has been so bitten by the pleasures of heirloom apples that he’s planted over 70 varieties at his Gold Ridge Organic Farms. At the farm’s Heirloom Apple Celebration on September 16, you’ll get to taste quite a few of those apples as well as the farm’s organic extra virgin olive oils and many other locally made treats... Out on the patio, surrounded by old olive trees, we easily imagined we were in Tuscany as we took in 360° views of the orchards and West Sonoma County landscape while tasting the olive oils with dried apples, local cheeses, and the farm’s splendid apple syrup.

Gold Ridge will hold its second Annual Heirloom Apple Celebration later this month, and Brooke Hazen couldn’t be happier about opening his farm to celebrate the season.

Brooke Hazen doesn’t immediately give off farmer vibes.

Sure, he has the deep tan and lined face typical of someone who has worked for years outside in the sun and wind, but his pristine pink T-shirt and two pink jeweled stud earrings in his left ear belie that this is a man who lives to tend the soil and trees at Gold Ridge Organic Farms, his 88-acre apple and olive farm in Sebastopol.

“I love the color pink. I think it brings joy and beauty,” Hazen said. “Pink is really a symbol of the apple blossom, a huge part of what we grow here. So, the power of Gold Ridge is pink power.”

But brown is the color most people might associate with Gold Ridge. That’s the color of the paper bags filled with Hazen’s apples that have been sold for years at 47 Whole Foods Markets all over Northern California...

A perfect quick, easy weeknight dinner for pasta lovers. This recipe for Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a beloved classic features bold flavors, but requires minimal effort. Garlic and Gold Ridge Organic Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the star ingredients. The addition of Gold Ridge Organic Farms Tuscan Blend EVOO, plus chili flakes and parsley, offers rich, fruity undertones and robust, nuanced flavors. 

Host Clark Wolf talks with Farmer-Founder Brooke Hazen of Gold Ridge Organic Farms about olive oil, apples, farming in Sonoma County and much more! 

Shop Sonoma County with Jill Martin: Finds from local businesses and familiar faves

Located on 88 acres within Sonoma County, Gold Ridge Organic Farms grows olives, heirloom apples, citrus fruits and lavender. According to the business, they specialize in making certified organic olive oil, and you can even visit the grounds and book an olive oil tasting experience.

You'll feel like a top chef cooking with this San Franciscan "Chef Favorite" Tuscan Blend of extra virgin organic olive oil. Harvested in 2022, Gold Ridge Organic Farms says you'll taste hints of green apples, pine nuts and almonds.

Working together as a team to reach success is a priceless experience in life.

Gold Ridge Organic Farms from the United States has won four Gold Awards at the 2023 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the fourth consecutive year.

Slow Food in Sonoma County, a joint project of two local Slow Food chapters, Sonoma County North and Russian River, will honor eight Sonoma County restaurants, farms, ranches and producers at its annual awards ceremony, including two from the Valley. This international program recognizes food-related businesses that excel in sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support and business values.

Give your heart health a boost with fresh local 2022 harvest Olio Nuovo (new olive harvest.)

Discover new pairings with our citrus oils. Taste a custom dessert pairing from local pastry chef Jenny Malicki of Buttercup Baking with our Honeycrisp-Fuji Apple Cider Syrup. 

"Enjoy rose-infused hot apple-pear cider shrub with Little Apple Treats' Modern Mulling Spices.

How much is there to love about Sonoma County? Gold Ridge Organic Farms will help count the ways from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with tastes of their new harvest of olive oils and treats from Buttercup Baking to start. Baked treats from pasty chef Jenny Malicki will be paired with Gold Ridge’s Honeycrisp-Fuji apple cider syrup. Wash it down with hot apple-pear cider infused with Little Apple Treats’ mulling spices. Tickets are $35 and available at goldridgeorganicfarms.com/events. 3387 Canfield Road.

Sure, Sonoma is best known for its world-class wines, but this vast county is home to all sorts of farms and ranches. There’s even a cheese trail map.

While rolling through the region, [food writer Leslie Kelly] recently stopped at Gold Ridge Organic Farms for an olive oil tasting. That’s right. This beautiful property is home to acres of olive trees, as well as apple orchards. Quite an intriguing combo, but one that founder Brooke Hazen was sure would work when he settled in the area in 2001.

By Ruth Reichl

What an honor to see Gold Ridge Organic Farms Tuscan Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olio Nuovo featured in the La Briffe holiday gift guide by the one and only Ruth Reichl herself.  

"I haven’t encountered many American olive oils that knocked me out, but this one from Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastapol is exceptionally good." — Ruth Reichl, James Beard Award Winning Food Writer & Chef

We are featured in Sonoma magazine Delicious Holiday Gifts Made in Sonoma! This season, spread goodwill—to a neighbor or friend, a teacher or colleague—as you support our region’s artisan food businesses.

We recently spent a day visiting Gold Ridge Organic Farms, where farmer Brook Hazan grows apples, citrus, and olives on 88 idyllic acres near Sebastopol. It’s a good place to experience an expert, multi-faceted olive oil tasting right beside some gorgeous old olive trees like those in our Olive Oil Heaven gallery of orchards. On the Gold Ridge patio, you’ll also meet a unique citrus hybrid called the mandarin kumquat. The farm co-presses those fruits with olives in its mill, and the delicious oil can add its beautiful spark to salads or to this Heirloom Apple Almond Olive Oil Cake recipe.

During the fall and winter olive harvest season, fresh olive oils flow from the mills in brilliant, luxuriously green torrents. This is the time to celebrate the drought-tolerant olive tree in California and experience the extraordinary flavors of olio nuovo and new-harvest extra virgin olive oil when it is newly milled […] Gold Ridge Organic Farms 88-acre Sonoma County organic farm is open for visitors year-round, but fall and winter are ideal seasons to visit, since you’ll have the opportunity to taste the farms’ award-winning estate-grown olive oils newly milled on-site within hours of harvest, which gives them the highest medicinal quality, maximum freshness, and best flavors. 

Farmer Brooke Hazen took a chance in the rolling hills of Sebastopol, and it paid off deliciously.

“It was a total risk,” says Brooke Hazen. In 2000, only a handful of years after graduating from college, the organic farmer began transforming an 88-acre cattle ranch in Sebastopol into Gold Ridge Organic Farms.

“In the beginning, I didn’t even know if olives would do well here,” he says.

The risk paid off. Today, 13,000 olive trees—21 varieties spread across some 70 acres—thrive in the beautiful stretch of west Sonoma County. All of Gold Ridge Organic Farms’s olive oils are milled on-site within hours of harvest (typically mid-November through mid-December) for maximum freshness, flavor, and medicinal quality. High in antioxidants, the farm’s

award-winning lineup ranges from estate-grown extra virgin organic olive oils to olive oils co-milled with Meyer lemon and mandarin-kumquat fruit grown on the property.

Farming plays a large role in Hazen‘s success, but he is quick to credit the land’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The coastal fog and cooler temperatures that produce ideal growing conditions for the region’s renowned pinot noir wine grapes also create the perfect environment for cultivating olives.

“The flavors, the textures, and the colors—all those are slowly allowed to develop over a long period of time,” says Hazen.

But it’s not just about olives. Hazen also tends to more than 12,000 apple trees, growing about 75 heirloom varieties, such as Hoople’s Antique Gold and Red Gravenstein, along with well-known favorites including Honeycrisp and Fuji. Apple harvest typically kicks off in late July and runs well into fall.

“I do tree-ripe harvest, which is rare commercially,” says Hazen. “I wait until it’s just peak- ready, and we get it straight to market right away.”

Then there’s the olive oil soap and apple cider syrup, and don’t forget the dark chocolate bar with Meyer lemon olive oil made in collaboration with nearby Volo Chocolate. In just two decades, Hazen’s small organic farm has blossomed into a foodie paradise.

Gold Ridge Organic Farms offers private olive oil tastings and farm tours by appointment throughout the year, and beginning in August, the farm will host heirloom apple tastings at its Apple Barn. goldridgeorganicfarms.com.

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Listen to Goldridge Organic Farms' owner Brooke Hazen interview on KRSH radio's Tawny Tesconi’s From Farm To Table.

Nearly a dozen small producers in Sonoma County mill olives onsite within hours of harvest into olio nuovo, or new oil, and backyard growers bring their olive harvest to custom mills at neighboring farms. The resulting oils are fresh, much higher in antioxidants, and deliver wildly complex flavors on the palate. Gold Ridge Organic Farms has 70 acres of olive trees in the rolling hills of Sebastopol and is the newest establishment to open their Tasting Salon to the public. A tour of the property is gifted with a 360 view of West Sonoma County and an educational guided tasting of their medicinal quality oils.

It’s the season for olio nuovo, the fresh-pressed olive oil that marks the start of the holiday season.

Olive oil is never better, never more compelling, than it is at the moment it first streams into the world, straight from the press. It is the purest expression of the olive, an elixir that delights with field-fresh flavors and a texture best described as both lean and rich.

This is olio nuovo, the new oil.

Olio nuovo is a treasure of early winter in Sonoma. It cannot be separated from its season and cannot be preserved, as its bold flavors begin to fade not long after pressing. The decline is subtle at first, but within a month or two, the new oil loses its unique spark and begins to mellow. By early spring, it will be a memory until the next vintage.

“When olive oil comes out of the funnel during pressing, there is always a feeling of renewal and exuberance. The vibrant green and gold hues, the fresh aromas, and the healthy vegetative and fruity flavors are intoxicating, full of the strength and health of the trees, only an hour removed,” says Brooke Hazen, who oversees 70 acres of olive trees at his Gold Ridge Organic Farms in the rolling hills southeast of Sebastopol.

Typically, quality olive oil rests in bulk for a few months after being pressed, a process that allows it to settle and become shelf-stable. Olio nuovo, in contrast, is bottled and released straight from the press, skipping the step during which the oil rests, allowing fresh, peppery, straight-from-the-tree flavors to shine. Until quite recently, only a handful of local growers, including Healdsburg’s DaVero and Petaluma’s McEvoy Ranch, celebrated a separate release of the new oil before the more widely available extra virgin olive oil came to market.

Sonoma County’s olive harvest begins around the time the grape harvest concludes, typically in late October or early November, and continues for several weeks. By the winter holidays, prized bottles of olio nuovo are available locally, many of them from small-scale, family-owned farms and olive mills. These days, there’s recognition that Sonoma County-grown olio nuovo holds its own alongside prized oils from Tuscany such as Ardoino, a favorite of olive oil pioneer Ridgely Evers at DaVero, and Poggio Lamentano, the favorite of renowned food writer M. F. K. Fisher.

“There is al ways a feeling of renewal and exuberance. The vibrant green and gold hues, the fresh aromas…full of the strength and health of the trees, only an hour removed.” ~ Brooke Hazen

Producer Stephen Singer of Baker Lane Vineyards likens olio nuovo to the elusive white truffle, another early-winter treasure. “The early vivid expression of olive oil doesn’t last long, nor does the flavor of the truffle,” he says. “Both are transitory, deeply seasonal, momentary, and ephemeral.” Singer, the former wine director at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, used to be in the business of importing premium olive oil from Tuscany. Now, settled in the hills outside Sebastopol, he makes wine and produces estate olive oil.

Growers say that to understand olio nuovo, it is essential to understand olive oil itself. The characteristic flavors of an olive’s oil are determined almost entirely by which type of olive tree the olive grows upon (over 2,000 types of trees exist). The trees must be properly tended and pruned, and farmers must choose the right moment to pick. The olives must be harvested gently, without stems and leaves, then transported as quickly as possible to the mill, before they begin to ferment. It is the job of the miller to press the oil out of the olive as gently as possible. Nearly all premium oils are made with olives processed and pressed within 24 hours of being harvested.

The best olive oils are made with a mix of green fruit and ripe fruit. Green fruit has the bitterness and peppery qualities considered essential; when olives ripen to purple-black, as they all eventually do, their oil takes on more buttery characteristics. The mix of both green and purple olives at different stages of ripeness creates the complexity of flavor that makes olive oil lovers wax poetic.

Six local mills serve the olive growers of Sonoma County. Recently, these mills have also become home to a new seasonal tradition: the community milling day. At one of these events, typically held in November or early December, anyone with an olive tree or two can be part of the magic of olio nuovo. Small-scale growers and backyard hobbyists bring their freshly-picked fruit—in buckets, bags, and bins—to the mill on the day of the press. After checking the olives for pests and for ripeness, the miller adds the fruit to the press to become part of a community blend. This is grassroots local food production at its best: Each grower gets back containers of the fresh-pressed oil in proportion to what they contributed. The more olives you bring, the more oil you receive.

Standing in the orchard, watching as olives are gently tugged from their slender stems, it all comes full circle—the care put into tending the trees, the flurry of harvest day, the quick rush to the press. After an hour or two of picking, you can smell on your hands the subtle aroma of the olive and the oil within— all peppery and grassy, the sunlight and rain together. “Olive oil is priceless,” says Ridgely Evers. “And it is sacred.”

Tasting Sonoma’s Olio Nuovo

There are nearly a dozen commercial olio nuovo producers in Sonoma County, plus hundreds of backyard growers who either do a custom milling for oil to share with friends and neighbors, or who bring their olives to community milling events.

Baker Lane Vineyards: Stephen Singer’s 2021 Occidental Blend is not labeled “olio nuovo,” but is available soon enough after pressing that it is a de facto nuovo, with vivid flavors of artichoke, new mown hay, and green apple. Online sales only. bakerlanevineyards.com

DaVero Farms & Winery: The benchmark estate olio nuovo is sassy and elegant, with complex bitter and pepper flavors—the signature liquid nirvana. It is available by appointment at the tasting room and online, from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. 766 Westside Rd., Healdsburg. 707431-8000, davero.com

Dry Creek Olive Company: A blend of olives from 100-year-old trees and newly-planted cultivars goes into a bright, herbaceous olio nuovo, available shortly after pressing and prior to the release of estate’s signature flavored olive oils. 7878 Dry Creek Rd., Geyserville. 707-431-7200, trattorefarms.com

Eyrie Olive Oil: This delicious Tuscan-style olio nuovo is available on Saturdays at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., and at Lazzini’s Market, 3449 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa. Email suzanne@eyrieoliveoil.com for information.

Figone Olive Oil Company: The group releases an olio nuovo blend of Spanish and Italian varieties. 483 First St. West, Sonoma. 707-282-9092, figoneoliveoil.com

Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Brooke Hazen offers four olio nuovos, each made from a different variety of olive, including Picholine, Minerva, Tuscan, and Arbequina. The varieties ripen in succession, not simultaneously, and all are picked a bit later in the season, producing oils with a voluptuous buttery texture. The olio nuovos are released in late December and available through February. 3387 Canfield Rd., Sebastopol. 707-8233110, goldridgeorganicfarms.com

McEvoy Ranch: This olio nuovo evokes the subtle flavors of winter greens – think cardoons, chicories, and dandelions – with a trail of peppery heat, a signature quality of the estate’s seven Tuscan cultivars. Available at the ranch store and online. 5935 Red Hill Rd., Petaluma. 707-7782307, mcevoyranch.com

Monte-Bellaria di California: Proprietor Bill MacElroy typically harvests his olives on the last Sunday of October. His olive oil is available within about 24 hours of pressing, and though it is not labeled as olio nuovo, that’s what it is. 3518 Bloomfield Rd., Sebastopol. 707829-2645, monte-bellaria.com

Olivino: Their olio nuovo is a blend of five Tuscan cultivars from a 2,500-tree orchard that straddles the border of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. It shows classic flavors of fresh grass, fruit, nuts, and pepper. It is released near Christmas and available until Easter. 14160 Mountain Home Rd., Hopland. 707744-1114, olivino.com

Preston Farm & Winery: Chaste Maiden Early Release Organic Olive Oil is a blend of ten Italian and Spanish cultivars. Even in its youth, it is a delicate oil, with a modicum of the peppery heat that defines many other oils. As it ages, the oil softens even more, and develops buttery characteristics, making it ideal for anyone who balks at “two cough” olive oils, as some people call robust olio nuovos. 9282 West Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg, 707-433-3372, prestonfarmandwinery.com

The Olive Press: Their olio nuovo is made from the Spanish cultivar Arbequina, which has suggestions of newly-mown grass, artichoke, apple, and banana. 24724 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, 800-9654839, theolivepress.com

Community Milling Days

Community milling days are a special way to participate in the feel and flavors of olive oil production. Some mills require a minimum quantity, while others will take even just a hatful of olives. The mills will generally ask for a specific mix of ripeness in the olives and that participants pick their olives within 24 hours of the event.

They’ll also inspect the olives for signs of damage from the olive fruit fly. For additional information and requirements, please contact each mill directly.

Dry Creek Olive Company, Geyserville: Oct. 31, Nov. 21, Dec. 5. 5 pound minimum, $1 per pound. 707-431-7200, trattorefarms.com

Figone’s Olive Oil Co.: Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 9-Dec. 12. 5 pound minimum, $1.12 per pound. 707-244-9148, figoneoliveoil.com

McEvoy Ranch, Petaluma: Nov. 14; register by Nov. 10. $1 per pound. 707-778-2307, mcevoyranch.com

Olivino, Hopland: Call for information. 707-744-1114, olivino.com

The Olive Press, Sonoma: Nov. 7 and Nov. 21. 800-965-4839, theolivepress.com

In Wine Country, the grape harvest ended in October, but another star of the table is waiting in the wings for its golden moment: the Italian, French and Spanish varieties of olives that will be harvested beginning this month, when the small green fruits begin to ripen and turn purple.

At Gold Ridge Organic Farms, founded in 2001 by farmer Brooke Hazen in the western hills above Sebastopol, the coastal fog and sun that slowly ripens the region’s chardonnay and pinot noir grapes also create the ideal growing conditions for 88 acres of organically farmed olives, apples, citrus and herbs.

Hazen, who has blanketed 70 acres of the estate with 13,000 olive trees, started building his own olive mill 10 years ago, featuring a state-of-the-art Rapanelli olive press from Italy, so he could have more control over the quality of his olive oil. The mill also helps support the farm by providing milling services for about 150 clients all over California, from the flatlands of the Central Valley to the hillsides of the North Bay.

“Pressing olives is a romantic thing,” Haven said. “With the amount of olives I have, it would be really expensive otherwise. … And our customers can bring from 50 pounds up to 50 tons to be custom milled.”

Like other olive oil producers in the North Bay, Hazen is gearing up for mid-November harvest of his own olive trees, which include Spanish varieties like Arbequina, Picual and Manzanilla as well as French varieties like Picholine and Italian varieties such as Frantoio, Leccino and Minerva.

“I look at when the first killing frosts are coming, generally around Christmas, so I usually start picking in mid-November,” he said. “We finish the olive harvest in four weeks, by mid-December.”

All the olives are milled on-site within hours of harvest for peak freshness and flavor, including healthy, antioxidant boosting polyphenols concentrated in the bitter flesh of the fruit.

His organic line of olive oils have already won gold and silver awards from the New York International Olive Oil Competition as well as from the California Olive Oil Council, a nonprofit trade group that supports certified extra-virgin olive oil standards.

Hazen credits the climate of Sonoma County for helping nurture the complex flavors in olive oils grown and made here in the cool coastal hills.

“People wonder why olive oils vary so much,” he said. “Yes, farming is involved, but climate is the biggest factor. … The oil here is very robust. The reason is the cool fog we get here in NorCal. The flavors and colors have a longer time to develop nuances and do not get cooked out.”

When he first started planting olives back in 2000, Hazen sourced his Italian olive varieties from McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, one of the North Bay’s revered pioneers of high-end Italian-style olive oil production.

“But I also have 21 varieties,” Hazen said. “I wanted to diversify with the French and Spanish blends.”

Gold Ridge Organic Farms grows and mills four of its own olive oil blends: the Tuscan, Picholine, Arbequina and Minerva blends, each a mixture of four to six varieties of olives.

In the kitchen, the Arbequina blend is mild and perfect for salad dressings and marinades. The Tuscan blend, a favorite among chefs, is ideal for cooking. Minerva, another Italian blend, starts out robust and pungent, with the highest polyphenol count, but it mellows over time. Foodies love it for its buttery mouthfeel. The Picholine blend made from French varieties is delicious right out of the bottle.

“My favorite Picholine is when it’s new,” Hazen said. “It’s rare to find.”

Recently, Hazen started milling his olives together with some of the citrus he grows at the farm, a method that originated in Abruzzo region of Italy that is known as Agrumato. They started with a refreshing Meyer Lemon Agrumato and a Mandarin-Kumquat Agrumato.

“This is the first year making them,” Hazen said. “It’s made with a pure process — pure fruit, the peel and the juice.”

For the past few years, Gold Ridge also has been diversifying with a line of value-added products made from the organic apples, olive oil and herbs grown at the farm.

Director of Business Operations Andrea Lederle joined the sales and marketing team a few years ago to help raise the profile of the farm, then Naomi Ansbergs joined to head up sales and marketing.

The farm, which also grows 12,000 apple trees on 15 acres, is producing a Gravenstein Apple Syrup in collaboration with well-known preservationist Merrilee Olson of Preserve Farm Kitchens in Petaluma. The syrup is expected to be ready in time for the holiday season.