Plenty of Sonoma County wineries make their own olive oil, but it’s not so common for an olive oil producer to make its own wine. That’s the setup at McEvoy Ranch. Set in the Petaluma hills near the Sonoma-Marin border, the ranch provides an idyllic backdrop for tasting wine and extra-virgin olive oil.

The story

Nan McEvoy, the granddaughter of San Francisco Chronicle founder M.H. de Young, could have just kicked back and enjoyed a cushy, work-free life. She was a newspaper heiress, after all. Instead, she convinced her father to let her work for the family paper as a reporter, and she eventually became the company’s board chairman.

After retiring in her early 70s, McEvoy purchased a 550-acre property in Petaluma, thinking it would be a nice place for her city-dwelling grandchildren to run and play. The property’s zoning meant it also needed an agricultural purpose, so she planted 3,000 imported Tuscan olive trees on the ranch in 1990 and created a nursery to supply trees to growers across the region.

McEvoy’s business grew to become one of the nation’s largest producers of organic olive oil. In 2006, she added vineyards to complement the estate’s 50 acres of olive groves — though the grapes were later removed during California’s multiyear drought to prioritize water for the olive trees. Today, the late McEvoy’s son Nion and his adult children run the family operation.

The vibe

No matter how many times I’ve driven from my home to the ranch, I still have to watch closely for the McEvoy sign on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. Pass through the Bunny Gate — named for the whimsical bronze rabbit perched at the top — and you may spot some real live jackrabbits hopping amid the olive orchards.

Tastings happen on a stone patio set with tables and lounge chairs, overlooking a lovely pond and acres of rolling hills dotted with olive trees. This is the kind of place that makes you go “ahhhhhhhhh.”

On the palate

Winemaker Byron Kosuge sources French and Italian grape varieties from growers in the Petaluma Gap and beyond, creating friendly and accessible wines. The 2024 Rosebud Rosé ($24), made from Potter Valley Pinot Noir, is pale and floral, showing off aromas and flavors of ripe strawberries. McEvoy’s 2023 Under the Willow Vermentino ($36) from Sonoma County’s celebrated Las Brisas Vineyard is a summer pleasure layered with intriguing mineral notes and citrus zestiness. Fans of lighter-style Pinot Noir will find a kindred spirit in the 2021 Evening Standard Pinot Noir ($45) from the Sun Chase Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. Aged in neutral oak for a subtle profile, the wine is all about red berries and soft tannins. Tastings range from $38 to $48.

Beyond the bottle

There’s lots to sample at McEvoy, even if wine isn’t your thing. The ranch offers a guided olive oil flight ($35) featuring five varieties — from classic extra-virgin olive oil to “agrumato” oils made by crushing olives with whole fresh fruits and herbs. Seasonal culinary tastings ($45) include small bites made with McEvoy olive oils and condiments.

To truly have your mind blown, opt for the Olive Oil and Gelato Tasting ($35), which pairs three flavors of Fiorello’s Artisan Gelato with three olive oils. (Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried drizzling the Chai Spice olive oil over vanilla bean ice cream.)

If you’d like to explore more of the property — including the vegetable gardens, olive oil presses and Nan McEvoy’s incredible Chinese-style pavilion — reserve a ranch tour ($55-$95).

McEvoy Ranch, 5935 Red Hill Road, Petaluma. 707-769-4138, mcevoyranch.com. Open daily, reservations encouraged.

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

The post Petaluma’s McEvoy Ranch Leads With Olive Oil and Charms With Wine appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

The post 10 Things to Do in Sonoma County, Besides Drinking Wine appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

With Sonoma olive oils increasingly in the spotlight, producers are promoting their premium goods with experiences similar to wine-tasting adventures. For a special holiday experience, check out these local tasting rooms: 

TASTING ROOMS

The Olive Press, Sonoma

The Cline family cultivates 45 estate acres of Italian and Spanish olive orchards, and also presses olives for wineries, estates such as Beltane, and home growers. In 2015, the mill cold-pressed more than 500 tons of olives, and visitors can watch the mechanical grinding stones, steel blades and centrifugal spinning chambers transform the hard green and softer blackish fruit to silky gold liquid. Year-round, taste dozens of oils at the tasting bar at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. 24724 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-939-8900, theolivepress.com

Beltane Ranch, Glen Ellen

Vacation in the ranch’s 1892 bed-and-breakfast and enjoy an olive oil-accented breakfast. Once fortified, wander the estate’s Mission, Sevillano, Manzanillo, Lucca, Arbequino, Frantoio and Piqual orchards to watch the workers knock fruit off the trees. 11775 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen, 707-833-4233, beltaneranch.com

McEvoy Ranch, Petaluma

McEvoy offers olive-themed tours, including an orchard and mill walk, followed by oil and wine tastings. During harvest, visitors can see the milling, which is done using McEvoy’s state-of-the-art Rapanelli frantoio, what Dorsey calls the “Maserati of olive oil mills.” Visitors learn that it takes an average of 80 pounds of olives to yield 1 gallon of extra virgin oil, and that greener fruit yields oil that is peppery, pungent and herbaceous in character, while dark olives produce milder, buttery characteristics. The prized product is olio nuovo, or unfiltered “new oil,” made from fruit harvested during the first few weeks of the season. 5935 Red Hill Road, Petaluma, 707-769-4100, mcevoyranch.com

Figone’s California Olive Oil Co.. Sonoma

The orchards are in the San Joaquin Valley, but the fruit is milled, blended and bottled in Sonoma Valley. During harvest, olive-tree owners can drop off their fruit and watch the milling process at Figone. Year-round, visitors to the retail shop in downtown Sonoma can taste multiple olive and olive oil varieties. 483 First St. W., Sonoma, 707-282-9092, figoneoliveoil.com

The post 4 Spots for Olive Oil Tasting in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.