2004 LA County Fair Olive Oil Winners

2004 L.A. County Fair
Olive Oils of the World

This is a special competition open to extra virgin olive oils produced throughout the world. The L.A. County Fair in cooperation with the California Olive Oil Council and their panel of tasters invited olive oil producers to participate in the 5th annual extra virgin olive oil competition. The competition took place on May 12 - May 14, 2004 in conjunction with the wine competition. There were 247 oils entered. Half of these oils were submitted from California and the other half from the Mediteranian olive oil producing countries of Italy, Spain, Greece. The award-winning entries will be displayed at the 82nd edition of the L. A. County Fair, September 10 through September 26, 2004.

The 2004 Olive Oil Judges and the Domestic Awards are listed below. For a complete list of Domestic and International winners and other competition information please visit: www.fairplex.com/wine2004/

2004 OLIVE OIL JUDGES

Alexandra Devarenne works with the University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Paul Vossen on Research into organic controls for olive fruit fly and olive varietal characteristics. She is a member of the COOC Tasting panel.
Margaret Edwards chairs the judging panel for the New Zealand National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards. Margaret and her husband grow and process olives for award winning extra virgin olive oil; Best in Show at the 2002 NZ National Awards and a gold medal in the 2003 Los Angeles Ccounty Fair Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.
Bruce Golino is owner and operator of Santa Cruz Olive Tree Nursery, one of the largest olive tree nurseries in the country. Bruce is a member of the COOC Tasting Panel and is currently the President of the COOC.
Louie Gonzalez
Jose Gouvieja
Karen Guth is an olive grower in Paso Robles, California and owner of Willow Creek Olive Ranch and Mill. She is also is a member of the COOC Tasting Panel.
Melissa Kaman
Nancy Lilly grows wine grapes, olives, and organic fruits and vegetables. She has been an owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant since 1972 and a member of the COOC Panel of Tasters since 1998.
Xavier Marques was born in Barcelona, Spain and is the director of NursTech, the California branch of the multinational Agromillora. NursTech was founded in the year 2000 with the objective of producing better olive plants for the California market. He is also editor of the English version of Lint Magazine, a publication devoted to super intensive olive cultivation and a member of the COOC Tasting Panel.
Marvin D. Martin is a chef, olive oil and orchard consultant to numerous wineries. He produces his own award winning olive oils "OliOdessa" and "Carneros Olive Oil Company" at "The Olive Press" in Glen Ellen, California where he is a partner. He is also a member of the COOC Tasting Panel.
Deborah Rogers began her olive oil career as co-founder/owner of V G Buck California Foods. She is currently the managing partner of The Olive Press in Glen Ellen, California where she oversees the custom pressing operation for growers in Northern California. She is a COOC Tasting Panel Member.
Edward Schulten is a professional winemaker and sommelier for over 30 years. He is now one of the COOC's newest certified olive oil tasters. He is making his own wines and is the Master Blender for The Apollo Olive Oil Company.
Sandy Sonnenfelt is the Prepared Food Coordinator at The Pasta Shop, a nationally recognized specialty food company.
Fabrizio Vignolin is Chairman of Italian Olive Oil School of Tasters - O.N.A.O.O. He is registered in the National list of experts of virgin and extra virgin olive oils held by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture Public Relations and Promotion of Olive Oil Products. He is head of COI Panel Supervisors, Instructor of Professional Formation Courses in Italy and abroad.
Paul Vossen is a Farm Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension since 1981. He helped found the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) in 1991 and coordinates the UC/COOC Olive Oil Sensory Taste Panel as Co-Panel Head to provide evaluations of oils submitted into the California Olive Oil Council Extra Virgin Certification Program.
Dean Wilkinson is Vice President of Int'l Delicacies Inc., a specialty food importer and distributor and is a Member of the California Olive Oil Council Tasting panel.
Roberto Zecca was born in Genoa, Italy and owns Castellare di Ugnana in the Chianti region of Italy. He created Frantoio Ristorante in Mill Valley, California, the only restaurant in the United States with full olive oil production facility. He was the first American to qualify as a professional taster from the O.N.A.O.O. (Italy's National Institute for Olive Oil Tasting). Roberto is Co-Leader of the University of California/California Olive Oil Council Panel of Tasters. He produces extra virgin olive oil in Tuscany and California.

We are pleased to note that the Judges selected COOC member Lila Jaeger's Olive Oil
as the Best of Show Olive Oil out of the 247 International and Domestic olive oils submitted.