Olive harvest thrives in Yolo County’s Capay Valley: ‘It’s got everything that olives love’

A rainbow of olives — green, purple, shades in between — stream up Séka Hills’ conveyor belt toward a commercial washer. Once rinsed, they’ll be hammered into paste, moved through a relaxer and separator and come out as olive oil. It’s a 45-minute process that ends in floor-to-ceiling holding tanks.

The Capay Valley farm, like others in Yolo County, is in the midst of its olive harvest, which started in mid-October and will run into early December. It’s a major business operation for Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation: the tribe began planting olive groves in 2012.

Yolo County growers harvested 6,652 acres of olives in 2023, worth $18.3 million, according to the county Department of Agriculture’s annual report. That financial figure represents 140% growth since 2013, though it’s still well behind top crops such as tomatoes ($236.7 million), almonds ($121 million) and wine grapes ($101.4 million).

Séka Hills and Cobram Estate are the major players, though a smattering of smaller producers such as Frate Sol, Bondolio and Grumpy Goats Farm have their own audiences as well. Renowned olive oil makers Pablo Voitzuk and Samir Bayraktar also source from Yolo County, said Corti Brothers owner Darrell Corti, who chairs the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.

Sloping hills, fertile soil and summer heat help make the Capay Valley a ripe habitat for olives, said Jim Etters, Yocha Dehe’s director of land management.

“Western Yolo County really has the ideal Mediterranean climate,” Etters said. “It’s got everything that olives love. It’s got the undulating topography, the heat. For us as growers, we’re growing them on much less water than some of the nut crops that have been grown here historically. It’s just a place where olives thrive, and it’s become really well known for the quality of oil.”

Few local producers have their own mills; Séka Hills will show its off from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. this Sunday at its Olive Crush Festival, along with a cooking demonstration, live music and a craft fair at 19326 County Road 78 in Brooks. It’s also the rare opportunity to buy bottles of olio nuovo, the super-fresh, chartreuse-colored oil straight from the mill’s tap, which starts with a buttery taste before kicking the back of the throat.

The remaining olive oil is stored in tanks, allowing any remaining sediment to be filtered out, until about Jan. 1. Then it’s off to market, because unlike the wine Séka Hills produces, olive oil spoils with age.

While bottles will keep unopened for a year-and-a-half to two years, Etters recommends using up olive oil within four to six weeks after popping its top. Think of it like fruit juice: the fresher, the better.

If there’s room for improvement in Capay Valley olive oil, Corti said, it’s in the types of olives being planted. California olive farmers tend to plant what’s known as “super high-density orchards” in order to maximize yield.

That means Arbosana, Koroneiki and (mostly) Arbequina olives, not other cultivars such as Coratina, Picual and Taggiasca that need more space but can offer deeper flavors. While a few local producers dabble in those breeds, they’re not the farms’ bread and butter.

“I think that we have now enough experience in California that we have to respect the growing habits of the trees and not look for immediate returns but more sustainable, long-term production systems,” Corti wrote in an email. “Extra virgin olive oil should be expensive since it really is a handmade product. There really is a difference between really good oil and merely oil!”

What I’m Eating

Casa East Sac is an easy crowd-pleaser, straightforward and well-executed food in a literally homey environment. The building at 54th and H streets was a single-family home before housing a couple of short-lived restaurants, The Neighborhood Pizzeria and Joon Market, prior to Casa’s opening in 2022.

Steve and Ted Gibanov worked their way through Northern California restaurants — Ted was Revolution Winery & Kitchen’s chef in midtown Sacramento — before launching American River Provisions, their Citrus Heights catering business. That’s closed for the time being as the brothers spin potato-topped pizzas and weekend brunch out of Casa, which seems to have become increasingly popular throughout the year.

Steve cooked in San Francisco for 20 years, and Casa occasionally nods to some of the city’s iconic creations — a shrimp Louie salad ($24) that’s been on the menu since Day 1, the occasional cioppino night. The half-roasted chicken ($32) is a riff on Zuni Cafe’s signature panzanella entree, with giant sourdough crouton hunks you’ll pinch out of the shaved fennel, pine nuts and currants swimming au jus.

Housemade lasagna ($30) squares are another labor of love, this time from Peru-born pastry chef Bruno Caccia, who attended culinary school in Italy. Beef bolognese and a generous amount of béchamel flow through six layers of pasta, all topped with a tangy marinara sauce and a sprinkle of herbs.

Casa East Sac

Address: 5401 H St., Sacramento

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday

Phone: 916-898-3702

Website: casaeastsac.com

Drinks: Full bar, with happy hour specials (3-6 p.m.) Wednesday to Friday

Vegetarian options: Appetizers, salads and pizzas including the Pops and the Vic (herbed ricotta, mozzarella, mushrooms and white truffle oil).

Noise level: Relatively loud inside, quieter on patio

Outdoor seating: Lovely front patio that feels like the former house’s front porch

Openings & Closings

▪ Late Mouse Lounge will host its grand opening Saturday at 13000 Folsom Blvd., Suite 302A, in Folsom Premium Outlets. Taven Tanger and Francesca Mota started the business as a mobile coffee cart last year; it’s now an all-ages, “bar-style” cafe and game room with mocktails, espresso drinks and baked goods.

▪ Camden Spit & Larder chef/owner Oliver Ridgeway is partnering with Tyler and Melissa Williams, owners of the Jungle Bird and Tank House BBQ & Bar, to open a new concept at 2968 Freeport Blvd. where Dad’s Kitchen was. The Land Park restaurant will be called Stepdad of all things, but that’s all the owners are saying about it for now.

▪ Bánh mì and smoothie shop Banh Mi Mi Sandwiches will open this December at 2302 Arden Way in Arden Arcade. It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for the owners of Xin Organic Chicken Rice, a pop-up and catering businesses specializing in Hainan-style khao man gai.

This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 7:00 AM.