On Olive Oil with Curtis Cord On Olive Oil

Already in 3,000 stores across the U.S., Graza has momentum rarely seen in a notoriously crowded and challenging industry.

Raised in the Sierra Foothills, Kevin O’Connor developed a love for gathering, hunting, foraging and cooking at a young age. Starting in fine dining at the age of fourteen, he has over twelve years of experience in some of California’s best restaurants. No matter his venture, he strives to find a real connection to the food he cooks and the places it comes from. An avid forager and adventurist, he always prefers an open fire to a stove. He cooks from the heart, with respect for the ingredients, keeping his flavors simple, clean and damn delicious. Now as Cobram Estate’s Chef at Large, Kevin follows the harvest between California and Australia, cooking with super fresh olive oil.

Rose Malindretos is the director of marketing for Oliviers & Company (also known as O&Co.) the worldwide purveyor of Mediterranean specialty foods. Rose spoke with Olive Oil Times publisher Curtis Cord about olive oil retailing in New York's Grand Central Station, where her team has just minutes to introduce shoppers to the tastes of high-quality olive oils.

Just five years ago, a group of neighboring farmers in Sierra de Cazorla, Spain decided to work together and produce high-quality olive oil with respect for the environment.

Since then, their Dehesa de La Sabina monovarietal Picual has garnered critical acclaim including, this year, the Best in Class Award at the 2017 New York International Olive Oil Competition.

The members of La Olivilla are determined to do more than creating a world-class product, however. They are showing their community a better way to farm that restores nature's delicate balance and setting an example for a new generation.

Fernando Herrera is the vice president of marketing for Deoleo, the world leader in sales of bottled olive oil. The Córdoba-based multinational recently underwent yet another restructuring amid years of losses and says it has a renewed focus on quality.

Three of its limited-edition brands were recently awarded at the New York International Olive Oil Competition. NYIOOC president and Olive Oil Times publisher, Curtis Cord spoke with Herrera to see if the wins signaled a real commitment to delivering the quality consumers expect in extra virgin olive oils.

Karim Fitouri is a producer who wants to see Tunisia recognized as a place that makes great olive oils. He spoke with Curtis Cord after a week in New York developing his tasting skills at the Olive Oil Sommelier Certification Course at the International Culinary Center.