Queen Anne Olive Oil Company

Trips to Australia and Napa several years ago opened our eyes and taste buds to the wonder of high-quality olive oil, not to mention flavored oils and vinegars. So we couldn't be happier about the Queen Anne Olive Oil Company opening on the top of Queen Anne. But convenience isn't what's doing it for us; it's the quality of the product.

Owners/brothers Gary and Larry Graham have a long relationship with Michael and Veronica Bradley (photo)--Gary was best man at their wedding--who own Veronica Foods (www.evoliveoil.com). Veronica's grandfather began the Delizia olive oil business in 1924; over the years olive oil became a small part of the company's focus. In the late '80s, the decision was made to get more involved with olive oil, and their goal now is to "make the finest, freshest, most broad selection of extra virgin olive oil in the world accessible to the serious consumer at prices that are both reasonable and affordable." They are well known in various parts of the world as people who truly care about the industry and have worked hard to change it. There are many olive oils on the market that are adulterated and chemically treated to make the taste consistent year after year. They want to provide the opposite experience for consumers: fresh and natural.

Constantly tasting the best oils from Chile, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, California, Cypress, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Syria and Tunisia, they appreciate the diversity available. In 1997, they bought an olive grove in Tunisia and, with their Tunisian partner Medgold, built a state-of-the-art crushing mill and nitrogen-flushed storage facility. As with premium wines, Michael works with growers so he knows the olives are picked at just the right time and generally crushed within 2-4 hours. Along with their conventional and organic oils, they also produce fused whole fruit citrus olive oils. They've formed alliances with small regional mills around the world to bring their product to the U.S. Overall, they import more than a million gallons of the best extra virgin olive oil each year.

All this background is to explain why Gary and Larry are passionate about the oils they offer in the Queen Anne store. Four years ago, they began selling oils at the Fremont Flea Market 2-3 times a year and began to develop a devoted following. "We've thought about opening a store for quite awhile," explains Gary. "When we saw this location, we decided we had to do it." When they started, they had maybe 12 types of oils. "Right now we have 10 straight olive oils, 16 fused oils, 35 vinegars from white to dark that have been aged from 2-18 years, white and dark truffle oil, sesame oil and almond oil," says Larry. "The vinegars have no sweeteners, no corn syrup, and come from Modena, Italy. The truffle oils take three weeks to make: they chop the truffles and let them steep like tea." They also offer strawberry balsamic jam, sea salt and herb-infused salt. Their gift packs of several small bottles of different oils make great gifts.

"Cards on each container all have the place of origin, crush date, polyphenol count [high in antioxidants and vitamin E], and taste description," says Gary. "The higher the polyphenol count, the longer it lasts and the greener and grassier it tastes."

Customer reaction to the store has been very positive so far. What's not to love about a place where guests are encouraged to taste everything? Tasters are encouraged to ask questions. "We're still learning and people pose tough questions," laughs Larry. "Seattle has a lot of food saavy people. Our goal was to own our own business, providing a quality product and doing it well. So having the guests push us to find out more is just fine."

They order oils and vinegars in 2-1/2 gallon stainless steel containers since items are fresher in bulk and, properly stored, can last from 6-18 months. The same containers can also be purchased by customers, although they are encouraged to keep them in a cool place to extend the life of the oils. "We suggest you don't use these containers for vinegars. The spouts tend to clog. But they work perfectly for the oils," explains Larry. They offer four bottle sizes: 60 ml, 200 ml, 375 ml, 750 ml.

Queen Anne Olive Oil Company is open seven days a week, just waiting for you to discover what high-quality, natural oils and vinegars taste like. Your own creativity can be unleashed to create new oil and vinegar combinations for dressings and marinades. Or take the chocolate balsamic, pour over strawberries and have one amazing dessert. It's a whole new world.

Connie Adams/January 2013