When you want to treat yourself to top-tier olive oil—truly some of the best in California—there's a tasting room in downtown Newcastle that is incredible! I walked in and was immediately struck by how beautifully designed the tasting room is. At the same time, I was equally blown away by the variety that's offered in both oils and vinegars. And if that wasn't enough to completely win me over, I saw there’s a gourmet food section. Wild Groves California Olive Oil is not just a tasting room—it's an immersive flavor experience. Read on to learn what makes this place outstanding!
This Newcastle Gem Produces Best of California Award-Winning Olive Oil
I do my best to share anything that may create a bias for me. So, location in this one is a huge bias for me. The very fruit packing sheds so popular in Newcastle from 1864 to the late 1960s (and a brief segment of my childhood) are home to Wild Groves California Olive Oil. For me, walking into a building that once employed many from my Portuguese community was emotional. But to see such a beautifully displayed collection of locally created products was even more profound. You see, Wild Groves California Olive Oil is a result of nothing but locally sourced products that produce award-winning olive oils.
Wild Groves California Olive Oil holds the distinction of being one of the most awarded olive oil producers in America! Wild Groves California Olive Oil won Best of California for the Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It also received the Best of California Large Producer category, so not only did this olive oil win among boutique growers, it also places them among top-performing large-scale producers in California. Arbequina EVOO also earned a gold medal in the same competition. That indicates exceptional quality based on blind sensory evaluation. There are award-winning extra virgin olive oils across multiple products. For example, the Ascolano varietal is among the most awarded olive oils produced by Wild Groves California Olive Oil. It's safe to say that their oils aren't just locally loved, they're officially ranked among the best in California.
Extremely Well-Curated Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Room
I can almost guarantee you that you'll be hard pressed (yes—that pun was absolutely intended) to find another olive oil tasting room as beautifully designed as the one at Wild Groves California Olive Oil. The day I visited, an extremely knowledgeable person named Kayla gave me a knowledgeable explanation of how products are organized, what's available, and explained how to go about the tasting process to maximize the experience. It's a beautiful tasting room! The bottles are superbly displayed, the products are well-explained, and they are surrounded by photos that capture the feeling of what the owners want you to experience. This isn't just a local tasting room—it's a passion project; you feel depth in the tasting room. Wild Groves California Olive Oil is family owned by Dewey and Katie Lucero; Dewey is a fourth-generation olive farmer from Northern California.
One thing I appreciated about the tasting room is the use of many colors in the products displayed against very earthy, uniform shelving. The effect is that you can truly focus on the products and self-guide your own tasting experience. The first half of the tasting room’s floor-to-ceiling shelves are dedicated to olive oil, in the center section is a HUGE selection of offerings for tasting, and then the second half of the same type of shelves are loaded with absolutely outstanding balsamic vinegar. And just like the olive oil, balsamic vinegars are made onsite and use locally sourced products. Read on to learn about a few of the many oils and balsamic vinegars available at Wild Groves California Olive Oil. Wait—also read on to learn about the gourmet food!
Chocolate Olive Oil and Apricot White Balsamic Vinegar
While there are over five extra virgin olive oil varietals, 17 flavored olive oils and 18 balsamic vinegars to taste, I had to limit myself to just a couple for that day. And in addition to what was there the day of my first visit, there are seasonal rotations and limited releases, so the number cited here was just for that day. My favorite olive oil was a dessert-style olive oil with a smooth, bittersweet chocolate finish. Yes, chocolate-infused olive oil! Talk about a fusion worth celebrating! It’s olive oil reimagined for dessert. My other standout, hands-down favorite that day was the white apricot balsamic vinegar. First, I tried the Rose Balsamic Vinegar and thought that it was amazing, but the White Apricot Balsamic Vinegar was out of this world. Good grief!!! Those two and a loaf of bread are my idea of a perfect meal. Speaking of loaves of bread, the gourmet section has an olive oil cake mix that sounded great. While I showed restraint in buying that mix, I couldn't do the same with the double-stuffed olives (a top seller). These are huge green olives stuffed with garlic and jalapeño!
The gourmet food section is clearly chosen to elevate your cooking instantly. You can browse through an impressive selection of sea salts, seasoning blends, gourmet mustards, and even an artisan pasta selection. These items turn a simple tasting into a complete take-home culinary experience. Buying at Wild Groves California Olive Oil is as smooth an experience as the products themselves. You can choose from small or large bottles, mix and match in a box set, get help creating gift sets, and best of all, the prices are set very reasonably for such high-level products. When I first walked in, I was emotionally affected because of the sentimental aspect. When I walked out, I was overjoyed knowing that there's a locally owned and run business that’s priced at a very affordable level. Please visit Wild Groves California Olive Oil. You'll be very happy you did.
Stanford Ranch Self Storage
When you take that very short ride from the wonderful Rocklin community to Newcastle, you’ll find just enough of a change in landscape character to make it feel like a tiny vacation. As your neighborhood self-storage facility, Stanford Ranch Self Storage recommends using this kind of change of landscape as a post-moving day reward. We take great pride in finding places like Wild Groves California Olive Oil so we can offer our valued customers suggestions for how to make their moving experience a positive one. Please come by our state-of-the-art, self-storage facility to share ideas for a great moving day treat. See you soon!
Wild Groves California Olive Oil
9385 Old State Hwy #4
Newcastle, CA 95658
844-813-1241
Open Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Sunday.
https://wildgroves.com/
