A trip up into the fruit basket... to try some oils and vinegars.
After ending our Channel Islands National Park adventure, we decided to head out of Ventura Harbor, which was overflowing with day trippers to the beach to escape the intense and extremely high heat plaguing California this September.
Our first thought was the Santa Barbara Winery (my sister sent me a box of their wine a few years ago after I babysat her youngest for a week so she could celebrate her 40th birthday with an adults-only trip to California). But after a few minutes on the highway, suck in solid traffic, she texted and recommended the Ojai Olive Grove. As we were literally at the exit to Ojai off Highway 101, we jumped the double white lines of the exit and headed into the hills.
The drive took us past what my spouse likes to call "Old California". It was a side to the state that I've never experienced on all my travels. Citrus groves (oranges and lemons and apricots, plus more I couldn't identify) and rows and rows of various fruit trees and bushes, as the narrow road wound higher and higher into the hills.
The Olive Grove was quite a beautiful spot! As we walked up the gravel road, we found the tasting room, an air-conditioned outbuilding, which had shelves of olive oil and tasting cubs. For $10, we got several baggies of bread and a tray to carry cups of the oil. We filled up our 15 spots with all their olive oil, plus a few Balsamic vinegars the import from the makers in Italy.
With our trusty "code" in hand, we headed outside and found a seat at one of the picnic tables locate din a beautiful and serene Olive Tree Grove. Each of the paper sampling cups was thoughtfully marked with a code that referred to which of the vinegars it contained, and we began sampling.
A true recounting of this visit would be incomplete without a brief acknowledgement of the weather. All of Labor Day Weekend, southern California is in an extreme heat warning. So while the grove was beautiful, it was also over 100 degrees (F), and not a place one might want to linger. Plus, the owner came out and warned us that high winds and a severe thunderstorm are predicted and we might want to head in before it hits, as it happens very unexpectedly up there.
Here are our final "winners"... the signature olive oil, and the Rosemary, Lemon and Tangerines infused oils (i also loved the 18 year aged Balsamic, but we decided not to buy that since it's imported and not made on-site). We had the Lemon and Rosemary shipped home, and headed back down the hill.
The staff were welcoming, incredibly knowledgeable, and effecient. The setting was so beautiful and unique, and the drive was worth the trip.It was a great recommendation, and a really fun jaunt away from the beach/Hollywood/Amusement park locales that most trips to California are based around.
Thanks for stopping by!
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