LODI, CA (September 4, 2024) - Corto Olive Co., 100% California-grown olive oil and the secret ingredient of top chefs across the nation, announced today its special Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil for home chefs looking to spice up their cooking this fall and holiday season.

This internationally award-winning oil is back by popular demand for the fourth year in a row, crafted with the Agrumato method by crushing and co-extracting heirloom varieties of lively Calabrian chilies with California olives harvested at peak freshness in the Fall.

Corto’s Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil is now available for $40.00 at Corto Olive Co. and will be available for the same price on Amazon in early October.

Visit Corto's website to find inspiration for serving and recipes developed by renowned chefs such as Chef Christian Reynoso, Chef Barney Hannagan, Chef Lauren Chandler, and Mixologist Christian Suzuki. Additionally, chefs across the country will be serving unique recipes featuring the Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil. Diners can find this ingredient on the menus of: 

• Chris Decker, Truly Pizza in Dana Point, CA
• Eric See, Ursula in Brooklyn, NY
• Stephen Gillanders, S.K.Y. Restaurant in Chicago, IL
• Avishar Barua, Agni in Columbus, OH

“The Agrumato process ensures that everything is extremely fresh,” said Chef Stephen Gillanders, chef and owner of Apolonia, S.K.Y., and Valhalla restaurants in Chicago. “We are pulling these flavors out of oil that we never thought were possible - it’s reinforcing the excitement I have about cooking with Corto.” 

Inspired by the Cortopassi family’s Nonno Amerigo’s childhood memories of olive harvesting in Italy, this special, limited-edition olive oil is crafted using the Agrumato method by crushing and cold-extracting our Fall Harvested olives simultaneously with California’s freshest seasonal ingredients to produce a sensational flavor experience. Corto works closely with California specialty farmers to source the freshest seasonal ingredients that result in complex flavor profiles, perfect for professional and home kitchens.

The Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil features organic, heirloom Calabrian chilies from Longer Table Farm in Sonoma County, California. Working closely with their farmers, who plant over 50 varieties of pepper seeds each year from the Caribbean, Italy, Hungary, France, Peru, and Mexico, Corto can achieve the perfect balance of heat and depth of flavor. Ideal for gifting and drizzling on favorite dishes this holiday season (and all year long), the bottle features an illustrated label by Italian artist Irene Laschi, who specializes in botanical drawings.

“Bringing this product back for the fourth year in a row is a testament to its popularity and how frequently people ask us for it,” said Corto’s Master Miller David Garci-Aguirre. “By using the Agrumato method, we can produce deep, complex layers of spice unmatched by simple oil infusions.”

First available in 2021, Corto’s limited-edition Agrumato-Method oils, like all Corto olive oils, are rooted in the company’s Italian heritage and inspired by innovations that are improving the way flavored olive oil is made. The entire line of Corto Agrumato-Method oils has already impressed the industry, garnering multiple top awards, including:

2024: 

• Terraolivo 2024: Gran Prestige Gold
• EVO International Olive Oil Contest (IOOC) - Gold
• Athena International Olive Oil – Gold
• Olive Japan – Gold
• Central Coast Olive Oil Competition – Double Gold / Best of Class, Hot & Best of Class, Herb
• California State Fair – Gold & Best of Show, Best of CA, Best of Class
• Japan Olive Oil Prize – Gold
• San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition – Gold
• Fresno Fair - Gold

2023: 

• Terraolivo 2023: Gran Prestige Gold
• EVO IOOC - Gold
• London IOCC International - Gold
• Olive Oil Japan - Gold 
• Self, Pantry Awards Winner
• Best Olive Oil, Food & Wine
• Athena International Olive Oil – Gold
• Los Angeles International EVOOC – Gold, Packaging
• Central Coast Olive Oil Competition –Gold, Gold / Best of Class, Citrus

2022:  

• Terraolivo 2022: Gran Prestige Gold
• Olive Japan – Gold

Corto believes that the best olive oil is fresh, but 70% of the olive oil commercially available in retail outlets is harvested from overripe/rotten fruit that has fallen to the ground. Corto uses over-the-row harvesters to gently pick olives off the branches at peak freshness and is dedicated to freshness from grove to plate. The fruit is then cold-extracted in Corto’s state-of-the-art mill within hours and stored in a climate-controlled cellar until a customer order is processed. Only then is the oil packaged directly from the cellar into Corto’s FlavorLock boxes and dark-glass bottles, further ensuring freshness and minimizing exposure to the harmful effects of light, heat, and air. The result is some of the freshest, most flavorful oil possible. 

The Harvest 2024, limited-edition Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil is certified kosher, non-GMO, Halal-certified, and gluten-free. It is available now at Corto Olive Co. and on October 14, 2024 on Amazon.com.