FAQs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is high in monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and polyphenols - all contributing to a healthy diet. Olive oil is a healthy part of any diet, but the Harvard School of Public Health specifically notes that “olive oil has been linked to reduced risk of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular disease.” The FDA Dietary Guidelines state that "oils are important to consider as part of a healthy dietary pattern as they provide essential fatty acids."

Peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, soy, dairy, wheat, eggs, and sesame are not present in our California Olive Ranch production facility where our oil is stored and bottled. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also naturally gluten free.

Other oils bottled at our facility are refined avocado and canola oil (the refining process pulls out proteins, which takes out any allergenic compounds, but we still have processes in place to avoid cross-contamination) and other flavorings.

Our Lucini items are made at our facility as well as co-packer facilities. Some Lucini products are bottled in facilities where sunflower oil is present. Our pasta sauces are produced in a facility that handles milk, fish, tree nuts, eggs and wheat. Our dressing and marinade products are produced in a facility that handles milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame, and soy.

We ensure that all our co-packer manufacturers follow the same standards to uphold the same minimal cross contamination risk in any products, including stringent policies to prevent cross-contamination. These include, but not limited to, storage guidelines, sanitation practices, and cleaning verification (allergen testing). All equipment is tested for allergens prior to starting the canning or bottling process and the equipment and structural design of the facility minimizes the introduction of hazards and human contact. GMPs address potential allergen cross-contamination from personnel to ensure they are educated on this type of hazard and take every precaution to prevent this from occurring.

Yes, the smoke point of good olive oil is high enough to fry food - testing shows our olive oil smoke point is well over 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Please try it for a healthy alternative.

Sorry, we do not offer tours of our facilities or ranches at this time.

Our annual harvest typically takes place between October and December.  We then store our new oil in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks until the oil reaches the proper clarify for bottling.  Historically, our oils are ready to be bottled in the first part of the new year and are available to purchase around April - May, depending on mother nature.

We run small batches of production continuing to bottle throughout the year based on demand.  Continued testing by our technical services team has shown that our temperature-controlled nitrogen stored stainless steel tanks preserve the phenols as well as other quality parameters extremely well until we are ready to bottle.

When you will start seeing the newest harvest at your local retailers depends on the amount of inventory they have on hand and how quickly they sell through their inventory. 

We recommend signing up to be an Olio Nuovo VIP to receive notice when our seasonal, Olio Nuovo EVOO is ready for purchase.  Our Olio Nuovo EVOO is a limited first release of our newest harvest. You can find this option to sign up here:  https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=Mya2dt&g=TKyN3Q. 

All our extra virgin olive oils are first cold pressed.  The term 'first cold press' is not a grade of olive oil, but a descriptor for how an extra virgin olive oil is made.  To qualify as extra virgin, the oil cannot be subjected to any heat above 85 degrees during production, (aka the term 'cold' press), thus retaining the naturally occurring nutrients and phenols.  The application of heat is typically used during a different production process called 'refining'.

The EVOO in our California Olive Ranch and Lucini Italia brands ranges from ~200 mg/kg to 500+ mg/kg. Phenols are closely tied to an oils pungency and bitterness. The more bitter or pungent an oil the higher the phenol content. Phenol’s are the primary source of antioxidants in EVOO, so the higher the phenol content the greater the antioxidant level in the oil. While the levels of phenols stay relatively consistent, the exact numbers can fluctuate from year to year and over time. Other influential factors include climate, olive varietals and time the olives themselves were harvested and pressed during the harvest season.

You can find the phenol level of your specific oil on the QR code on the front of the below items as well:

100% California

Global Medium, Mild and Robust series

California Reserve Collection

We are working to incorporate this data for your exact lot of oil on all our EVOO’s in the near future.

Our olive oils have a harvest date and “Use By” date printed on the back label. The harvest date refers to when the oil was picked and pressed. In the United States and Europe, this happens once a year from October-December. In South America, this happens once a year in April-June. Up until bottling, our EVOO is stored in stainless steel tanks that preserve the quality of the oil. Once opened, we recommend using up your oil within 30-60 days.

The Use By date for our sprays is on the bottom of the can, and on the shoulder of the glass for marinades, sauces, and dressings. Our sauces should be refrigerated after opening and used within a week. For our marinades and dressings, we recommend refrigerating after opening and using within two months.

Store your oil away from light and heat and use your olive oil within 30-60 days of opening the bottle. All California Olive Ranch and Lucini oils are bottled in dark protective colored bottles to prevent exposure to light.

If you notice “clouds” in the bottom of your bottle, you are seeing the naturally occurring waxes separate out from the temperature change. Sometimes in shipping, the oil is exposed to extreme cold, resulting in a cloudy appearance and may even result in oil appearing in more solid form (like butter). Once the oil returns to room temperature it will return to its liquid form. This is normal and will not impact the taste of the oil. This naturally occurs in fresh, high quality olive oil.

Additionally, coagulation (when liquid oil goes into a more solid form) may occur in other products made with olive oil, like our sauces or marinades - this is completely normal.

The optimal storage temperature for olive oil ranges from 62°- 75° Fahrenheit. Given the duration of shipping from our home to yours is rather minimal, only a few days, there is no prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. Once it arrives, we recommend storing the oil in a cool, dark pantry away from heat and light. Enjoy in good health!

Our products are available online or go to our store locator page to find a retailer near you.
If you are a restaurant or other service business, and would like to buy our oils for food service, please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@cal-olive.com.

We craft all of our oils to have great taste and the highest quality. We also craft different flavor intensities that are great for any dish and depend on your preference. Try searching by intensity or use to determine which olive oil is right for you.

Please see our shipping and return policy here.

At this time we do not accept orders over the phone.

We do not offer items coupons, samples, or free product. That said, we do often run promotions for those on our newsletter list. Sign up in the footer below.

All our olive oils are certified extra virgin by Applied Sensory, to one of the highest standards of quality in the industry. Our 100% California Reserve Collection and 100% California extra virgin olive oils also carry the Olive Oil Commission of California seal. We test every batch of our oil as we make it to ensure that it adheres to our high standards.

We currently have two organic extra virgin olive oil offerings from Lucini: our Organic Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil and our Organic Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Additionally, we recently launched a 100% California Organic available at select Costco Club stores.

All Lucini pasta sauces are organic.

Our oils and sauces are Orthodox Union kosher certified. For the rest of our products, check the product or label for kosher certification.

Many of our products fit into important nutritional communities like keto, paleo, plant-based kosher, organic, and non-GMO. Check the product page or label for certifications specific to each product.