Olive Oil at Vinarosa: From Tree to Table to Spa
Vinarosa vineyard and olive trees photo credit Renato Films Photography
When Chris Connell arrived at the Vinarosa Resort & Spa property in 2015 his role was the Culinary Gardener. The property just completed a $15 million transformation and rebranding, formerly known as Vintners Inn on Barnes Road in Santa Rosa. In the years since then and culminating in the lush grounds that you’ll see today, he has revamped the gardens, the vineyard, putting some much-needed love, energy, and attention into the property in general. But one thing he saw quickly upon arrival was that the two acres of 317 olive trees had not been tended in quite some time.
The Orchard
Executive Culinary Gardener Chris Connell and Executive Chef Sergio Howland
“In 2018 we started harvesting and got small quantities, but the trees needed TLC,” Connell recalls. The following year, they “rebooted the orchard,” with extensive pruning, irrigation and orchard management, much of which was under the guidance of mentor, Dana Grande, who today is the Grower Relations Manager at Jordan Vineyard & Winery for their olive oil production.
The orchard at Vinarosa was planted in 2008 by the previous owners, an Italian family who were motivated to establish the trees for olive oil. There are four Tuscan varieties onsite: Frantoio, Leccino, Maurino-pollinizer and Pendolino-pollinizer. Once under production, the oil was sold at local events and entered into competitions.
But once Connell arrived, much had changed. He brought his own background in agriculture, having a degree in Environmental Science as well as Regenerative Agriculture from Santa Rosa Junior College, where the campus features a 300 acre learning farm. While there were olive trees there, Connell didn’t work in that space while studying there. It was growing food that drew him to his position at Vinarosa.
“I always had an interest in growing things. I grew up in a family that always had gardens and trees and we always had a connection with eating and growing things…I really believe strongly that all people deserve the chance to have something grown with love and the least amount of input on the land,” he explains.
So his core motivation for jump starting the olive orchard was simply because he loves growing things, and the science behind it. Today his role is Chief Engineer, overseeing much more than just the culinary gardens and orchards.
“Everything I've learned I've learned on the fly. Most of it for me is trial and error, using what I know growing vegetables and fruit and plants in general. I have a really green thumb and am really fascinated and interested in how things grow,” he says.
But he could also acknowledge there was much to learn, and that is why he leaned on Dana Grande’s mentorship, leading them through the initial olive oil process.
And they also partnered with UC Davis in the early days. In fact, half the orchard was under their sampling and study during Covid, which worked out well during that time because there was no labor force or harvest that year.
“If I really needed help, there's Sonoma County Ag and the UC Cooperative Extension programs here, all very informative,” says Connell. “I take it upon myself to do olive orchard pruning classes, management classes, to stay up to date on the industry. It's a small industry, and UC Davis is trying to promote more olive oil production here in California.”
Creating Olive Oil
Vinarosa olive oil
Once they got the orchard back under management, properly pruned and watered, it's been doing really well. This year is their 5th growing season, and Connell explains that they just keep learning and finding their own preferences, primarily led by Executive Chef Sergio Howland’s palate. He is the driving source, much like a winemaker who weighs in on the growing process to create a finished product many months later.
“We adjust based on the chef's preferences, what the season is like, how far we want to push it,” says Connell. They have observed that with longer hang time, the flavors are more buttery. Picking sooner leads to greener, more peppery flavors.
Today, with much healthier trees, they are getting production levels up based on the age of the trees. For around 300 trees they are getting six and a half tons of fruit. And Connell explains that ideally it would be seven to seven and a half tons depending on the time of year and growing conditions.
“We try to let them hang on the trees as long as possible, but the cooler the season the spicier, more pungent the oil is, and higher production,” he says. A warmer summer leads to riper fruit, more buttery and smooth, yet less production overall.
The harvest process, which should be starting very soon at Vinarosa, begins with grading. “We grade by hand once the olives start showing signs of purple,” explains Connell. “Once a week I walk the orchards once I see the change. I take samples, put them in a bag, shake them up, lay them out and grade them one to seven from green to purple by percentage.”
He says that a five would be 75 percent purple, for example. Once more than half the samples are a five to six, they start harvesting. Ideally, they want to find 75 percent in the five to six range, which is usually the second or third week of November.
“We also watch the weather closely. If we see a freeze on the horizon or really wet weather coming, we will pull the olives early. But we always try to let the fruit hang as long as possible,” he says.
“We harvest by hand and thank goodness the olive harvest happens after the wine grape harvest!” he says. They put a big tarp around the trees and shake them out using an olive rake from high up in the tree, which is essentially a big stick. The two acres of olive trees spread around the property are harvested all in one day, and within 24 hours they are at the mill.
While there are mills closer by, even just 15 minutes from the property, they choose to go to Olivino up in Hopland. “They are the only ones that have ever touched these olives,” says Connell. The reason for this is all about the relationship. Vinarosa values Olivino’s small family operation, and their dedication to getting the olives processed quickly and cleanly.
“They work around the clock if they have to. Just like the vineyard world, the whole operation is going around the clock,” explains Connell. “It is a race against mother nature.”
Olivino offers the choice of grind, depending on what their needs are that season and what the chef wants. They usually opt for a regular grind, finding a bit cleaner finished oil from that.
“We want more nuance from year to year, we want the olive to speak for itself…it adds character to the oil and everything we're doing with it,” says Connell. He also notes that the mill has seen a decline in small oil companies utilizing their service, with labor and high costs impacting the entire industry. Despite this, Vinarosa is committed to continue their olive oil project. Connell says, “We are just breaking even on it, not making money. It's a passion project. And thankfully our ownership group is on board. It's a point of pride for us, to grow all year long and manage it well.”
Olive oil for Guests
John Ash restaurant
Vinarosa resort shop
Vinarosa Spa
Salad from John Ash restaurant
In total, they get about 150 to 175 gallons of oil per year. Connell says that production is a little on the low side but is just where they want it, mainly used as a finishing oil in the restaurant kitchen at John Ash onsite. Chef Howland uses it on his pasta dishes, drizzled on salads of produce grown in their property gardens, and also served with their delicious housemade focaccia bread. In total, 75 percent of the estate olive oil goes to the kitchen.
Vinarosa spa photo credit Renato Films Photography
The rest is sold in small bottles to resort guests and also used in the hotel’s spa. Their signature Estate Garden Massage uses their olive oil infused with hand-harvested flowers sourced directly from the gardens to create a custom blend, used heated for the scalp and massaged into the body. It is an immersive experience, highlighting the full circle path of these estate olives from tree to plate to skin.