Olive Oil

I’m planning to head down to Napa Valley next week to spend some time playing golf and tasting wine.   I was looking at the offerings from one of the vineyards I’m planning to visit and I noticed they had an “estate grown” olive oil.   I also couldn’t help but notice that it was $29 for 375ml.  

I know that my wife loves to buy high end olive oil so I mentioned the fact that Jordan Winery also grows olives and produces its own oil.

“Oh great”, she said, “I’m going to buy some”.

“It’s TWENTY NINE DOLLARS”, I raised my voice for effect.

“Well, that one right there”, as she pointed to the counter, “was twenty four.”

“What!, we paid that much for olive oil?”

“Yes”

I decided right then that I would make her do a blind taste test.   We had some less expensive extra virgin olive oil that we use for cooking.   We also had the $24 version that I’m pretty sure we purchased at a vineyard in Walla Walla.   I poured a small amount of each onto a plate and then had her taste each and tell me which one was the expensive one.   She dragged her finger through one, tasted, and then the other.   She immediately pointed to the expensive one and said, “That’s it!”

I felt a little dejected.   I had hoped that it might be something she had to think about a little or possibly need to take a second taste.   Nope, it was clear which was which.   I tasted them myself, and they were very different from one another.   The expensive one really tasted just like olives.   It was better in every way.    How much better in terms of dollars?   I guess you have to figure that one out on your own.