Corto, 100% California-grown olive oil and the secret ingredient of top chefs across the nation, announced today its first Agrumato-method olive oil: Agrumato Calabrian Chili. This special, limited-edition Harvest 2021 oil is crafted with the Agrumato method by crushing and co-extracting heirloom varieties of Calabrian chilies with California olives harvested at peak freshness this Fall. The result is a full-bodied experience of flavors ideal for gifting and drizzling on favorite dishes this holiday season (and all year long). Available for delivery this December, Corto Agrumato Calabrian Chili Oil can be purchased now at Corto-olive.com/products/agrumato for $35. The 500mL “gift-worthy” bottle includes an illustrated label by Italian artist Irene Laschi, who specializes in botanical drawings.

“Agrumato is a far cry from the infused oils most consumers are familiar with,” explained Corto Master Miller David Garci-Aguirre. “Instead of adding flavor to oil that has already been extracted, we crush the olives and Calabrian chilies together, resulting in a more full-bodied and flavorful experience.”

Like all Corto olive oils, this superior method is rooted in the company’s Italian heritage and inspired by innovation. Committed to its values of transparency and quality, Corto has been producing the freshest, 100% California olive oil since 2005. Made from beautifully fresh olives grown in California groves, Corto’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil is expertly blended by the company’s Master Miller to achieve a stunningly bright flavor profile that professional chefs have relied on for years to enhance their favorite dishes.

Corto sourced organic, heirloom Calabrian chilies from Longer Table Farm in Sonoma County, California, in order to achieve the perfect balance of heat and depth of flavor from local pepper specialists. In fact, these farmers plant over 50 varieties of pepper seeds each year from the Caribbean, Italy, Hungary, France, Peru, and Mexico.

Corto believes that the best olive oil is fresh olive oil, but 70% of the olive oil commercially available in retail outlets are harvested from overripe/rotten fruit that has fallen to the ground. Dedicated to freshness from grove to plate, Corto starts by using over-the-row harvesters to gently pick olives off the branches at peak freshness. 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.