Olive Oil And Wine Tasting At Cured

Cured, that fine shop on Pearl a little east of the mall, will host both an olive oil tasting and a wine tasting today from 1 to 4.  Maybe a place to do a little Christmas shopping as well.  Interesting that when I paste in what they say, "on Saturday" turns into ..... because it's a calendar feature.  In any case, here's what they say:

Two of our specialties at Cured both come in glass bottles: good olive oil and good wine. Both can be a bit daunting to navigate and get a bit overwhelming, but both make for the perfect holiday gift (whether for someone else or for yourself!!).  On Saturday, our friends at Guiliana Imports will be with us tasting a handful of olive oils that they bring direct to Colorado. Not only will you have a chance to taste a variety of oils and find what style you like the best, but you'll also be able to ask the importers about the farmers and farms behind the oils you’re tasting. Once you've found your favorite there, head back to the wine shop and taste the wines of Settembre Cellars, Boulder's very own, and utterly delicious, winery making some of the best wines in the state. So pop on by this Saturday, taste a few oils and wines, pick up a bit of knowledge and maybe a gift or two.

Olive Oil Tasting At Cured Saturday

So if you're downtown for the Boulder Farmers' Market Saturday, consider also swinging by the wonderful store that is Cured at 1825 Pearl Street (not to be confused with that other fave of mine, Cure Organic Farm at 75th and Valmont), purveyor of excellent cheeses, meats, and wines, for a special olive oil tasting Saturday afternoon.  Here are the details from them.

Olive Oil Tasting, Saturday, May 18th, 1-4pm: Have you ever felt overwhelmed staring at our wall of olive oils, wondering what the differences are between different countries, producers and olive varietals? You’re not alone. The world of olive oil is vast and can be intimidating, which is why we are excited to have Steve Lewis with us on Saturday. Several years back, Steve Lewis, a well-known wine importer, began to expand his portfolio to include olive oil. During his travels through Spain and Italy, he continued to happen upon small, family-run, boutique olive oils that were created with the same level of attention usually reserved for fine wines. Steve will be with us from 1-4 on Saturday to answer any and every question you may have concerning olive oil, meanwhile tasting a selection his delicious imports.

Italian Olive Tree Adoption

Touted as the gift for the cook who has everything, Food 52 has a promotion where you can "adopt" an olive oil tree in Italy and receive periodic shipments of olive oil from it and other sources, tasting seasonal differences in the oils.  It doesn't come cheap, at nearly $200 for the year, and I'd beware the inconsistencies in the description (1.5L total versus 1.5L recurring deliveries, 3 x 500 ml in four shipments, etc).  They have a similar promotion for the truffle-lover on your gift list.

Olive Oil Class At Alfalfa's

Alfalfa's will be doing an Olive Oil Connoisseur Class this coming Tuesday, December 6th, from 6:30 to 8 pm. The $5 price includes a bottle of one of their wonderful oils (I'm especially partial to their Tuscan herb). A friend attended their prior olive oil class and found it well worth the time. Here's what Alfalfa's says:

Olive Oil Connoisseur Class
Tuesday, Dec. 6th
Community Room
6:30-8pm
$5 per person

Neil's olive oil tasting party will walk you through the olive oil creation process, inspire you with olive oil uses, and share party tips & recipes. We will all eat cake (made with olive oil) and you will walk away a connoisseur with one FREE bottle of Alfalfa's fresh exclusive olive oils.

Seats are limited, so please pay at Guest Services to reserve your seat

• face to face

• give ‘em a ring at 720.420.8400

Doin' The Olive Oil Math

With so many oils to choose from, between the regular shelves and the fabulous dispensaries at Alfalfa's and the Pearl Street Whole Foods, how do you choose? Obviously, it all depends on your cooking/eating propensities and what appeals to you. But in terms of figuring out what these bulk oils actually cost, Alfalfa's has an extremely helpful chart that shows approximately what several sizes of bottles will weigh when filled with oil (presumably once the tare weight of the bottle has been deducted), so you can make reasonable cost comparisons. According to the chart, a filled 500 milliliter bottle will clock in at 1.02 pounds, and a 750 milliliter one comes in right at 1.5 pounds. Doubling that 500 milliliter size, you can figure a one liter bottle weighs basically two pounds.

Everybody has their own preferences, but for me, my course of action is clear. I go through olive oil by the liter for everyday cooking (freshness being an important factor - never buy a size that will sit around for too long), so for that purpose, my choice will remain Whole Foods' own cold pressed extra virgin 365 brand off the regular shelves (I like the Italian best). It comes in one liter bottles for $8.99 each, but it looks like it's transitioning to one liter canisters at $7.99 (with a Turkish option at just $6.99). If you do the math above, filling a one liter bottle from bulk at, say, $9 a pound would run you $18 for that bottle, so buying 365 off the shelves still works for me for the oil I use in quantity. I'd turn to the bulk dispensers for special oils bought in small quantities, and for those, I think the selection at Alfalfa's has an edge (I'm currently loving their organic Tuscan herb oil), but Whole Foods tempts me too, and I'll have to try that chipotle-infused one, for sure.

The Olive Oil Flows In Boulder

With the arrival of bulk oils and vinegars at the Pearl Street Whole Foods store in time for the weekend's grand re-opening celebration (how do they get these things installed so quickly?), Boulderites can now choose between Pearl and the wonderful dispensaries we got when Alfalfa's opened in April. How do they compare? IMHO, they're different, simply giving us more variety and more choice, so it couldn't be better for us, the consumers. The Pearl Street feature stays in a narrow range, with all the olive oils at either $8.99 or $9.99 a pound (there's also canola for cheap, I think $2.99 a pound, and grapeseed too), and only the Ascolano at $9.99 a pound is organic. Several are infused with flavors, like basil, garlic, and the ever-tempting chipotle. The Alfalfa's department (IMHO) tends toward higher end oils, with more organic options, and therefore sporting generally higher prices (although they do have an organic Everyday Blend that's currently on sale for $7.99 a pound, usually $8.99). So what does the Boulder consumer get out of this? A whole lot of choices!

Olive Oil Tasting Class At Alfalfa's

Alfalfa's will host a free Artisan Olive Oil Class and Tasting this Friday, the 15th, from 4 to 6 pm. With the store's fantastic collection of olive oils available in bulk dispensers, what a great chance to learn more (darn, and I can't get to the class). I'm loving their Tuscan herb oil, perfect for drizzling on practically anything. Here's what they say about the class:

Become an artisan olive oil connoisseur in less than 2 hours! You’ll get to experience the dynamic flavors of 3 award-winning olive oils, learn how to pick out the very best oils and you’ll get some fabulous cooking tips and more. Please RSVP with Guest Services so we can make sure to save you a seat ;) - guestservices@alfalfas.com- 720.420.8400