Rosmarino Farm: Home of Santa Chiara

Good extra virgin oil is made with olives harvested in very late fall and early winter. Picking olives directly from the tree in November, December and January -- as soon as the olive starts to change colour from green to black -- is the peak time to harvest.

Only olives pressed within 48 hours of harvest and imparting no taste imperfections can be labeled "extra" virgin olive oil.

In the mid-1990s, the Rosmarino Farm in Liguria, a cool coastal swath on the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Italy, was producing vintage supplies of superior quality extra virgin olive oil for the most demanding chefs and gourmets. To this day, supplies of Santa Chiara are still limited by the Ligurian harvest of Taggiasca olives.

Today's home chefs and discerning gourmets are seeking this delicate oil that connoisseurs describe as "light and fruity with a slight peppery aftertaste." If you are looking for a superior extra virgin oil for use as a finishing oil with salads, fish, and pasta sauces, you will want to give Santa Chiara Costa Dei Rosmarini a try. We use it here at Vivande Porta Via. We have limited supplies available for shipping at www.vivande.com.