FAQs

What is the difference between Arbosana and Arbequina olives?

Arbosana and Arbequina are both Spanish varietiy olives, each of which is especially well-suited to producing high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Arbequina (very complex, medium floral and fruit profile, followed by a strong pepper taste)

Arbequina Olives are highly aromatic, small, symmetrical and dark brown, with a rounded apex and a broad peduncular cavity. In Europe, they are mostly grown in Catalonia, Spain, as well as Aragon and Andalusia. Other well-established Arbequina olive farms can be found in Argentina, Chile, Australia, and of course, California. Arbequina olives have become one of the dominant olive cultivars in the world.

Arbosana (Intensely grassy and fruity aroma, hints of apple with a nutty flavor, pungent yet smooth finish)

Arbosana variety thrives in super-high density growing systems, making them perfect for efficient, sustainable farming. This variety is native to the Penedés region, located between Barcelona and Tarragona. Arbosana is considered a more robust olive than Arbequina. It tastes very peppery, and also can deliver a higher level of polyphenols.

Try Our Olive Oils

Are Templeton Olive Oils certified? Absolutely. All Olive Oil produced at Templeton Olive Oil is certified Extra virgin yearly by THOROUGH lab testing, a testament to our family's commitment to producing delicious, healthy olive oil of the highest quality. 

What exactly does "Cold-Pressed" mean? The term "Cold Press" refers to two ideas: "Cold" indicates that no heat is added during the processing of the olives, and "Press" is a general term referring to the traditional devices used to crush the olives. Because heat can diminish or otherwise negatively affect the flavor of olive oil, there is strong consensus that cold-pressing provides a fresher, fruitier olive oil with a more detailed flavor profile and more subtle notes.

When do we harvest? California harvest season is around Thanksgiving each year making fall a very exciting time around here!

Do you press your own olives? Having a press is a massive business in and of iteself. We take our olives within hours of picking to a very fine local olive miller who holds the strictest of standards. We receive the oil back to our ranch within 24 hours to bottle and sell straight from our ranch.

How do you pick your olives? We have over 7,000 olive trees which are planted in high density rows. We use a machine which drives over the trees and harvests the olives to pick them. We have about 300 trees which are hand picked due to their location on the ranch - Those are picked by a crew including our own family!

Who cares for the trees throughout the year? Dan and Ashleigh have figured out a good system to stay on top of the business. Dan takes care of order fulfillemnt and irrigation maintenance and Ashleigh does the pruning. Our adult children help with the big projects when they are home. By the time the entire orchard is pruned, next year has begun! It is a fun, hard, busy, and rewarding experience!