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O OLIVE OIL O Fig Balsamic Vinegar
"PEOPLE SAID, 'YOU'RE CRAZY! The Italians have been making balsamic vinegar for centuries.'" This is the typical reaction Mario Aranda, vice president of O Olive Oil, used to get in response to his company's ambition to challenge the status quo of balsamic vinegars. Today, vinegars are O Olive Oil's fastest selling products.
Since 1995, O Olive Oil, Petaluma, Calif., has been making specialty organic olive oils. In 1997, the company capitalized on its location in wine country and began making premium barrel-aged wine vinegars, including O Fig Balsamic Vinegar, which launched in January 2012. As the latest addition to O Olive Oil's line of California Balsamics, O Fig Balsamic is made with aged, juicy mission figs that were first brought to California by the monks that forged the Mission Trail in the 1700s. While many imported vinegars contain lead, O Olive Oil's products are crafted one batch at a time in accordance with California's stringent standards, making them a healthier and safer alternative. "Nowadays, there's a new generation of health-conscious foodies who are having children and want to know where their food comes from and what's inside," says Aranda.
As for the outside, the company has won prizes for its beautifully designed packaging—a testament to the team's dedication to every aspect of their products. "We want to look as good as we taste and taste as good as we look," says Aranda. Suggested retail price: $9.50/6.8 fluid ounces. Contact: Mario Aranda, O Olive Oil, 707.766.1755, ext. 111; mario@ooliveoil.com; ooliveoil.com.—A.M.
FINALISTS
➊ CULINARY COLLECTIVE Arvum Gran Reserva Sherry Vinegar Contact: Sue Ann Colvin sueann@culinarycollective.com 503.922.1630 culinarycollective.com
➋ POMDIAL INC. Gingras XO Extra Old Apple Cider Vinegar Contact: David Gare dgare@pomdial.com 514.293.4591 cidervinegar.com
SEPTEMBER 2012 S41
VINEGAR