Our Olive Mill is once again open for tasting and tours! Join us to learn more about the history of our mill, the process of harvesting and making olive oil, and experience a tasting of our fresh Estate Oils, Infused Oils, and Red Wine Vinegars.
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When the MacDonnell family decided to make their own estate olive oil, they understood that hands-on attention from harvest to bottling would ensure the freshest, highest quality olive oil. To ensure they were able to achieve this, they worked with legendary Florentine mill master Marco Mugelli to construct a state-of-the-art mill, one of only two in Napa Valley, complete with a traditional stone mill, made from one-ton granite boulders, and a contemporary Hammermill. This combination of time-honored and innovative methods allows our Mill Master, Emilio Alvarez, to give each olive varietal the gentle handcrafting that brings out its unique expression.
Mediterranean olive varietals thrive in Rutherford’s rich soils, yielding olives of extraordinary purity, flavor and character. Each of the olive oils of Round Pond Estate represents a meticulous selection of hand-harvested olives pressed on-site and kept in small lots until master blending—much like the small lot method behind Round Pond Estate wines. The olive oils are then bottled only on demand to ensure delivery at the height of freshness.
We’re thrilled to announce that now you can learn about and experience these exceptional oils as our mill has re-opened for tasting experiences and tours! We’ve crafted new experiences to provide a complete culinary immersion and added an add-on gourmet tasting plate featuring five delicious bites prepared by our Estate Chef to highlight our oils.
When you come for an experience at the olive mill our educators will guide you in a traditional olive oil tasting, teaching you how to smell and taste the oils while detailing the olive harvest and pressing methods used by our team. Our Tasting & Tour experience also includes a tour into the beautiful olive grove and a tour of the mill itself followed by your seated tasting of our Estate and Infused olive oils as well as two of our red wine vinegars. Add on a gourmet plate to either tasting for five delicious bites that our Estate Chef specifically crafted to highlight our oils and inspire your culinary exploration. We don’t want to give it all away but think delectable bites of infused basil oil marinated feta or whipped hummus with our chili infused oil – and yes, we’ll share the recipes so you can recreate them at home!
Book your experience now so you can immerse yourself in this culinary treat right in the heart of Rutherford!