O Olive Oil’s New Beginning

O Olive oil photo credit Bob McClenahan

In 2023  Colavita announced their acquisition of O Olive Oil & Vinegar, with Paolo Colavita taking the reins as the CEO. O Olive Oil & Vinegar dates back to 1995, when the original owner decided to create artisanal oils made from California-grown olives.

O’s oils are distinctive. Staying true to the uniqueness of the brand while also elevating it is a priority for Colavita. O Olive Oil is different from Colavita, and he feels that’s a feature, not a bug. “The two lines are complementary,” Paolo Colavita says. While the Colavita brand provides Italian staples, predominantly from Puglia, the O brand continues to focus on California-grown ingredients. Both are found on the shelves of better supermarkets. 

Flavored Olive Oils

O California Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

The O California Meyer Lemon Olive Oil is a popular product for the brand. Colavita explains that the former owner had the idea when he was in Italy after harvest, and watched people clean out stone mills using lemons. This process helped to ready the mills for the following year—but the delicious oil from olives pressed along with lemons sparked the idea for the product. Since citrus is harvested later than olives, it was important for the brand to select olives that matched the harvest timetable of the lemons. “As much as possible, you need to use varieties that are going to be ripening later,” Colavita says.

For the basil oil, the same applies: the timing needs to be right for the fresh basil to be crushed with olives. Lining up harvest dates is a potentially tricky aspect of creating cold-crushed oils, but the O Olive Oil team maintain that it’s worth it. Sales director Paul Ryzanych points out that many of the flavored oils on the market are infused using a process in which oils are sometimes heated. This can lead to bitter notes in the oil. In contract, cold-crushed oils taste vibrant and fresh. They might be thought of as finishing oils, says Ryzanych, “adding flavor and substance.”

Building on a Solid Foundation

Curate O Olive Oil in new bottles photo credit Bob McClenahan

O’s organic extra virgin olive oil is made from arbequina, koroneiki, and arbosana olives, from non-industrial family farms. The brand’s vinegars, made from Californian grapes from Napa and Sonoma, are the perfect partner to the premium oils. The brand’s latest product is a brightly colored olive oil squeeze bottle, which the team hope will further help the product to pop and grab the attention of consumers on what is called the “big green wall” in the industry—the olive oil section of the grocery store.

Paolo Colavita at the mill photo credit Bob McClenahan

During his time in California, Colavita has made many valuable connections, including with Chris Steele, who co-owns G&S Milling, and also owns a farming company, Capay Valley Ranches. Shoring up a high-quality olive crop is essential for the brand, and when O Olive Oil needs to source oil beyond that which they are contracted for from Capay Valley, they can buy from Colusa and Central Valley. There are lots of benefits to keeping partnerships in different areas. “Microclimates in California are crazy,” Ryzanych says. Diversifying their partners helps to protect the brand from potential challenges with supply caused by freezes and other weather events. 

California olives destined for O Olive Oil photo credit Bob McClenahan

O Olive Oil continues to streamline processes. Colavita is especially excited to begin using the local mill to produce the Meyer lemon and basil oils. Plus, the brand is committed to transitioning thousands of acres of traditionally planted olive groves to sustainable, organic trees. “It takes three years to convert a conventional grove from premium olive oil to organic,” Ryzanych says. And for those three years, the olives must be grown in that organic manner. Colavita also foresees a future time when he might work with local partners for a custom farming solution, to help ensure a bright future in California for the brand. “It’s all about the people,” Colavita says. “Without good people it would be not possible…. We can be successful because we found the right people to partner with.”