The Olive Press & Wine Country Chocolates

Ready for the picking

Next up was another tasting adventure. But this time it wasn't sparkling whites or full-bodied reds that we would be swirling in our cups. This time it would be of liquid gold, olive oil! For centuries extra-virgin olive oil has been valued for it's curative properties and culinary virtues. Any foodie worth her weight in gold knows what the Mediterranean gourmand has known for centuries, that the magical flavor and aroma of olive oil is essential to healthy and pleasurable eating.

And I adore olives and olive oil. I seriously couldn't live without it. Especially olive oil. Fortunately, my friend M is as much a food enthusiast as I am. She prepared the day's itinerary for us but I might as well have drawn it up myself! It is inevitable that such like-minded individuals would have this much fun on a road trip together. Aside from the winery, she included visits to olive oil, cheese and chocolate tasting rooms. Ooh la la! Could that be any more delightful?!

the olive press outside The Olive Press

So after Viansa we proceeded to The Olive Press, a rustic old building with a state-of-the-art Pieralisi press located in the Jack London Village. Olive trees guard the entrance to the tasting room and Provençal-inspired gift shop. Inside is a plethora of all things olive. There are pretty baskets, olive-themed ceramics, assorted jars of tapenade, olive oil storage containers, table linens, kitchenware, cured olives, and various books about olives. On a shelf across the main entryway in neat rows of sleek dark bottles are the olive oils.

In the middle of the room, on offer are the various dipping oils infused with the freshest herbs and spices. Beside each variant is a dipping dish and chunks of crusty bread. I was in glorious oily heaven! I couldn't decide which one was my favorite but it was a close fight between the Basil Walnut and Roasted Garlic and Rosemary dipping oils. What I loved best were the tapenades which I sampled on baguette slices. They were delicious! At the rate I was going, I wasn't going to have any room for lunch!

Then there is the tasting bar where you can sample all the olive oils. Here is how to sample the oils: Pump some olive oil into a small plastic cup and warm it with your hands. Bring the cup to your nose and breathe in its bouquet of aromas. Place a drop of the oil on your bottom lip and taste the oil for its degree of sweetness. After which, sip the oil and using the sides of your tongue, taste for spiciness.

the tasting bar

Ha! Who am I kidding? I didn't do all that. After pumping, warming and sniffing I used the toothpicks provided to spear a bread cube and dip it into plastic cups which I then popped into my mouth. As I went down the line, I savored the delicate flavors, smoothness and richness. Some were fruity or buttery, others peppery. Some subtle, while most were intense. All pretty wonderful.

Beside the tasting bar is a window, through which you can watch the hammer-mill press if you are lucky enough to be there during milling season (Oct-Jan). For those who are not so fortunate, like us, there is a free video tour that demonstrates the entire process.

* * *

Just around the corner from The Olive Press is a small unpretentious store which would be easy to miss if it wasn't for the big sign on the sidewalk. Wine Country Chocolates is famous for their hand-dipped, flavored chocolate truffles. They specialize in exquisite creations filled with wine-infused ganache, made from quality wines in the region such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Port and Zinfandel.

In true wine-country style, they even had a tasting bar! I was literally a kid in a candy store! (Oh shush, I am still a kid at heart :) ) The very friendly lady behind the bar indulged our sweet tooth. We got a sweet lesson on the various compositions of chocolate, how the ratio between cacao solids to sugar and vanilla determines how sweet or bitter the chocolate is. I personally liked the 70% variety, which stayed true to its claim of having a "bold beginning and sweet finish".

Through the glass window, we watched a chocolatier at work. She made magic. She moulded and dipped more of those little pieces of heaven. I couldn't tell what flavor of truffle she was in the process of making, but it could have been any one of a wide variety of other flavors like Kahlua Irish Creme, Capuccino Tiramisu, Amaretto, Raspberry, or Champagne. I was fascinated with the molded designs they had on display, most of which were chocolate animals. They looked too good to eat. But we bought and ate them anyway. :)

The Olive Press

Jack London Village
14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, Sonoma County
Tel: 800-965-4839

Wine Country Chocolate

Jack London Village

14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 2

Glen Ellen, Sonoma County

Up Next: Downtown Sonoma & the cheese factories

Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace

Ahhh the wine country. Napa and Sonoma Counties which make up the Wine Country heartland are accountable for 90% of all wine produced in the U.S. Although Napa Valley is slightly better known, Sonoma County is actually the birthplace of California's wine industry. It is in her rolling hills that Colonel Agoston Haraszthy first planted zinfandel grapes in the 1850's. Today, more than just rolling hills and vines as far as the eye can see, it is home to over 70 wineries and has become a popular destination for oenophiles and non-oenophiles alike. And whereas I only dipped my foot into her waters many moons ago, I was determined to take the plunge this time and venture deeper.

So armed with printed pages from Google Maps, my friend M and I took turns at the wheel as we made our way upstate from SF. We both agreed to do only one winery on this trip so we would have time for all the other things we wanted to see and do while there. The day couldn't have been more perfect. Yhe sun was shining and the leaves were swaying gently. As we cruised along the country road, I felt a flood of happiness in my veins. Roadtrip with good friend, perfect weather, gorgeous scenery, prospecting fine wine & food, this is the stuff dreams are made of.

Our first stop was the Viansa Winery. Few places in the world are more romantic than a gorgeous villa surrounded by vineyards. We caught glimpses of the Italian hilltop villa through the olive trees as we made our way up the driveway and into the parking lot. I stepped out of M's camry and into what could have been a vineyard in Tuscany.

The Sebastiani family's Tuscan heritage is visible everywhere, from the architecture : the fountain in the courtyard ,the red-tiled roofs, frescoes, sculptures, traditional artisan iron-work to the things they produced: the food, olive oil and of course the wine. The winery was founded in 1989 by the Sebastiani family and produces some of the finest Italian wines in the region.

We checked out the cool cave cellar with its interspersed arching alcoves topped with a high vaulted ceiling before heading to the Italian Marketplace at the back of the villa. Barbera Rose, Prosecco, Dolcetto, Muscat Canelli are just some of the wines made in these grounds. Upstairs is the marketplace/tasting room, I was surprised to find a very extensive array of food products. They had salsas, jams, dipping oils, spreads, cheeses, side by side with Tuscan-inspired tableware, cookbooks and souvenirs. I made my rounds from table to table sampling everything, sparing none. Everything was so good, I almost forgot about the wines!

At the rear of the villa is the beautiful picnic grounds, a popular venue for wedding receptions. Here, the guests are treated to an expansive view of the countryside, a perfect backdrop for the rustic atmosphere. I could have sat there for hours, maybe even all day and into the night if I had a good bottle of wine with me and some pairings. But we had a long day ahead of us and it was time to move on. Still so much to see!

Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace

25200 Arnold Dr., Sonoma CA 95476

Tel. 1-800-995-4740