1. Growing
Pasolivo is home to more than 7,000 olive trees spread across 45 acres of rolling Central Coast hills. Nestled in Paso Robles’ highly sought-after Willow Creek terroir, our orchard benefits from a cooler coastal climate and calcareous soil. This mineral-dense soil promotes excellent drainage and naturally limits excessive tree vigor, encouraging the olives to concentrate their flavor and nutrients rather than excess water.
We proudly cultivate 12 olive varieties contributing to distinct flavor profiles, from mild and buttery to bold and peppery. Most trees are 30–35 years old, with deep, established root systems that enhance flavor development and consistency from harvest to harvest. Sustainably farmed using organic practices and mindful irrigation, our orchard is carefully stewarded with long-term soil health and tree vitality in mind. Exceptional olive oil begins in the grove, long before harvest.
2. Harvesting
Our olives are always hand-picked or gently hand-raked to protect both the fruit and the trees. While large-scale machinery may be faster, it can bruise olives, stress the trees, and compromise quality. This is something we simply won’t sacrifice.
We begin harvesting only when the olives reach their optimal moment, a carefully monitored balance of green and purple fruit that delivers the best flavor, aroma, and freshness. Harvest typically takes place in November or early December. Once picked, olives are carefully transferred to tractors and transported just down the hill to our on-site mill. Because olives must be milled within 24 hours to prevent fermentation, having our mill on-site allows us to begin processing within just 2–4 hours, preserving the integrity and vibrant character of the oil.
3. Washing
Our olives are processed in our on-site Pieralisi Italian mill, allowing us to maintain complete control from tree to oil. After harvest, olives are transferred from the tractor’s picking bins into a large hopper, where a metal grate removes large leaves, twigs, and field debris. From there, the olives are gently lifted onto a conveyor belt, where a vacuum system pulls away any remaining lightweight debris.
Next, the olives enter what we call an “olive spa,” a gentle water bath that washes away dust and dirt. They then pass over a second conveyor with fresh-water sprays for a final, thorough rinse. A last hopper with a finer grate removes any smaller leaves or twigs, ensuring only clean, healthy olives move forward. At this point, the olives are perfectly prepped and ready to be pressed.
4. Co-milling
At Pasolivo, we never infuse our flavored olive oils. One of our signature methods, co-milling, begins at the final olive hopper just before pressing. After the olives are cleaned, fresh ingredients are added directly with the olives and milled together from the very start.
This process allows flavors like Red Jalapeño, Habanero, Basil, and Caramelized Onion to go through the exact same milling, pressing, and separation steps as our extra virgin olive oils. The result is naturally flavored oils with integrated flavor, fresh aroma, and the same nutritional and health benefits as true extra virgin olive oil, without shortcuts or artificial flavoring.
5. Milling
Once cleaned and prepped, the olives are fed into our hammer mill grinder, where the skin, flesh, and pit are crushed together into a smooth paste. This paste then moves into the malaxer, where it is gently mixed and cold-pressed for 30–45 minutes in one of our three temperature-controlled chambers. This critical step allows the oil droplets to slowly bind together while preserving freshness, aroma, and flavor.
When the paste reaches the ideal consistency, it is sent through a horizontal centrifuge, which separates the liquids from the solid paste, known as pomace. The oil then passes through a vertical centrifuge polisher, removing any remaining water from the oil. What remains is our fresh, unfiltered olive oil.
Nothing goes to waste in this process. The separated pomace and water from the centrifuge, along with the water used during washing, are recycled as part of our zero-waste milling system. Pomace is returned to the land as a natural fertilizer, while wastewater is cleaned and lab-tested before being safely reused to irrigate our orchard.
6. Filtering
After exiting the vertical centrifuge, we are left with fresh, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, rich with natural sediment. A very limited reserve of this oil is bottled immediately and released exclusively to our Press Club members as our first-harvest Olio Nuovo. Each year, Pasolivo Level II Olive Oil Sommelier Marisa Bloch Gaytan selects which olive variety will be featured, making every Olio Nuovo release unique to that harvest.
The remaining unfiltered oil then moves through our paper filtration system, which gently removes excess sediment to ensure clarity, stability, and a longer shelf life. While unfiltered oil is best enjoyed within 6–8 months, filtration allows our oils to maintain quality and freshness for 3–4 years. With the harvest process complete, our commitment to quality continues beyond the mill.
7. Storing
How olive oil is stored is critical to its quality, flavor, and longevity. Proper storage protects oil from its three greatest enemies: air, light, and heat.
At Pasolivo, our oil is transferred directly from the mill into stainless steel vats designed specifically for olive oil storage. These tanks are sealed with argon gas to eliminate exposure to air and prevent oxidation, temperature-controlled at 68°F to avoid heat damage, and made of solid steel to block out light entirely. Because we bottle in small batches, your oil remains protected in these ideal conditions until the very last moment before being bottled and delivered directly to your doorstep.
8. Testing
At Pasolivo, quality isn’t just a promise, it’s verified. After each harvest, our oils are certified by the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) through rigorous chemical and sensory testing that exceeds international standards. Every oil is evaluated for purity, freshness, and proper handling, with no heat or chemicals used during extraction. Blind sensory analysis by the COOC Taste Panel ensures true extra virgin character and the absence of defects. Only oils that pass both evaluations earn the COOC Seal, guaranteeing authentic, 100% California-grown extra virgin olive oil.
Beyond certification, every batch undergoes independent lab testing to monitor freshness, stability, and health benefits. Our oils are tested for ultra-low acidity, low peroxide levels, and a high smoke point of 420°F, contributing to antioxidant-rich oils with a proven shelf life of 3–4 years when stored properly.
Visit our Awards page for a deeper look at our certifications, test results, and awards.
9. Blending
Once our oils are certified extra virgin, our Level II Olive Oil Sommelier begins the blending process. With a trained palate and deep technical expertise, each blend is crafted to express balance, freshness, and complexity. Some extra virgin olive oils remain a single variety, such as our Soltera Extra Virgin Olive Oil or club-exclusive Il Singolo, while others are thoughtfully combined to enhance flavor profiles. For example, our Tuscan EVOO features robust tuscan varieties, while our Cucina EVOO highlights milder Mission and Frantoio varieties.
For certain flavored oils that cannot be co-milled with our olives, we use a careful hand-blending process. Meyer lemon rinds, for instance, are too thick to run through the mill, so our sommelier hand-blends real oil from the zest with our certified EVOO base. This method preserves the same health benefits, shelf life, and quality standards as our extra virgin oil.
10. Bottling
The final step in bringing premium olive oil from our trees to your table is small-batch bottling. Unlike mass-produced brands, we bottle to order, allowing our oil to remain protected in stainless steel vats for as long as possible before it ever reaches a bottle.
Our award-winning packaging is thoughtfully designed to protect the oil long after it leaves our hands. Each bottle is made of glass and hand-painted with UV-protective black coating to block light, which can degrade olive oil over time. Glass is non-reactive and preserves flavor far better than plastic, while our cork closure helps seal out air to prevent oxidation. For everyday ease and added protection, we also offer a self-sealing Olive Oil Pour Spout, designed to control flow while keeping air out between uses.
Read the Blog: How to Properly Store Your Olive Oil
