Olives pressed to success

Campus olive oil wins fans and award with taste

By Frank Delgado
The Collegian

When Sanger resident Sam Wells came into Fresno State’s Farm Market for a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, he got way more than he bargained for.

After a pair of two-ounce plastic cups were placed in front of him and filled with olive oil samples, a wine connoisseur-style taste test began.

After raising the cup of Fresno State Orchards Estate Reserve Olive Oil to his nose, Wells inhaled deeply and took a swig of the greenish oil.

“Wow, that really does taste pretty different from what I thought it would taste like — kinda like apples or bananas,” he said.

The olive oil has been one of the Farm Market’s most popular items over the past few months. Recently the olive oil was awarded a bronze medal at the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival and its popularity has continued to soar.

Karin Bridgeford, a student in the Department of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education and an employee at the farm market enjoys being able to show customers the distinct differences between the Fresno State Reserve olive oil and the yellowish supermarket variety many people are familiar with.

“The supermarket brand has a rancid, alcohol-type of smell if you put it up to your nose,” Bridgeford said.

Wells tasted the supermarket brand and winced in agreement with Bridgeford’s description, quickly taking a second sip of the Fresno State Reserve.

“I had to get that taste out of my mouth,” he said, laughing.

The dark, slender olive oil bottles first went on sale in early March and have become increasingly popular with local food aficionados.

The quick sales, however, had little to do with Fresno State orchard manager Gino Favagrossa’s decision to enter the department’s first pressing into the prestigious Southern California food and wine competition.

“I wanted to see how our olive oil would fare against the industry’s top producers, and the students have been really pleased with the outcome. Aside from festival at the Los Angeles fairgrounds, this is the biggest event of its kind in Southern California, so it really means a lot,” Favagrossa said.

Next year, Favagrossa hopes to create a special reserve blend comprised of a combination of Fresno State’s olive varietals: Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki.

“Much in the way a winemaker would take various zinfandel grapes and create a special blend, we’re going to create our own signature reserve with a special combination of the oils we produce," he said.

The San Diego festival took place in early November and attracted hundreds of oil processors, wineries and gourmet food companies as well as celebrity chefs from popular television programs and San Diego’s most notable restaurants.

Once the results of the olive oil competition were released, the word seemed to spread quickly to the Fresno community.

Dietetics major Sara Poodry also works at the Farm Market and has noticed an increase in the number of sales since the announcement of the oil’s acclaimed status.

“Yesterday we started off with 12 cases, and we’re already down to three today. People are coming in and asking about ‘the oil that won the award,’ it’s pretty amazing,” Poodry said.

Local restaurants are also beginning to take notice of the Fresno State Reserve as well.

J.R. Rosales, owner of Michelangelo’s in Clovis was given a sample bottle by Favagrossa and was immediately impressed.

“I keep the bottle next to me in the kitchen, and I’ve had a lot of customers come and ask me about it. They’re always happy to see that it’s coming from right here at Fresno State, and a couple have gone right from my restaurant to buy some for themselves,” Rosales said.

Lately, Rosales has been using the oil by brushing “just enough onto calzone bread to really bring out all the flavors,” or as a dipping sauce. Rosales admits, however, that he’s been using the prize-winning olive oil sparingly.

“I’m just about out, and I’m waiting for them to bring me another shipment. Hopefully I get my order before they run out of it, because the customers really like it,” Rosales said.

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