Published 9:15 am Tuesday, September 3, 2024
MODESTO, Calif. — Five generations of the Sciabica family have been producing cold-pressed olive oil since 1936, the oldest such operation in the U.S.
Third-generation owners Daniel and Nick Sciabica along with Jonathan Sciabica (fourth generation) and Andrew and Nick Sciabica Jr. (fifth generation), work with 24 full-time employees to produce olives and olive oil on 14.5 acres.
The result is extra virgin California olive oil, which they have dubbed “sunshine in a bottle.” The company’s website is even sunshineinabottle.com.
Members of the Sciabica family often get questions about the word “virgin” in relation to its olive oil. According to the website, it means the oil was pressed from the olive. Many oils are chemically extracted, but that’s not allowed for virgin oil. It also means the oil has not been treated to remove flavor defects in a process called refining.
“The Sciabica family takes so much pride in everything they do, and it’s no coincidence that their oils have been nicknamed ‘liquid gold’ — it’s that good,” said Lulu Meyer, director of operations for Foodwise and the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco. “We’ve been blessed to have them with us at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market since Day One.”
Company founder Joseph Sciabica used to sell his olive oil at the Saturday market, she said, adding that “he was known to be a very persuasive salesman, always with a sample you couldn’t resist and a twinkle in his eye.”
“His sons, and especially his grandson Jonathan, have carried on this tradition at our markets, and the quality and craftsmanship, as well as the traditions of the older generation, are still evident in everything they produce,” she said.
“There are over 600 varieties of olives, and we’re an equal-opportunity olive miller,” Andrew Sciabica said. “We focus on three main high-density cultivars that most California millers produce: Arbosana, Arbequina and Koroneiki. We also specialize in a California native cultivar called Mission.”
The Mission olive trees were first planted by Spanish missionaries and have fully adapted to the California climate.
“Our Olio Nuovo line (Italian for “New Oil”) offers a range of mono-cultivars such as Sevillano, Manzanillo and Ascolano at peak freshness. Our everyday-use extra virgin olive oil features blends of these cultivars.”
Harvest begins early in September with Sevillano olives, picked early for their bright green hue. They are often brined and sold as Martini olives, he said.
Most producers finish their crush by early December, as many cultivars are prone to freezing, Andrew said. “However, we continue crushing into early spring, leveraging Mission olives that ripen well during winter, producing a delicate and sweet extra virgin olive oil that customers love.”
Olives are received in 1,000-pound bins or larger hopper trailers and fed into the mill to remove excess stems and leaves before getting a thorough rinse.
After rinsing, the olives are crushed — pits and all — to create a paste. This paste is then “massaged” in a piece of equipment called a Malaxer to enhance the flavor and release the oil from the solids.
The paste is then spun in a decanter to separate the solids, water and oil. The oil undergoes one final spin to remove any remaining water, resulting in ready-to-eat extra virgin olive oil.
Andrew pointed out the challenges facing his family’s operation.
“The main challenge for California’s olive oil industry is the limited volume of olives currently planted,” he said. “We produce only about 5% of the world’s olive oil, while Spain produces around 50%. This makes it hard to compete in the global market, so the focus here is on quality and freshness.”
California standards are enforced by the Olive Oil Commission of California to ensure that anything labeled as California Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a superior product compared to the average supermarket-imported extra virgin olive oil.
Andrew Sciabica
Occupation: Office administrator, Sciabica Family California Olive Oil.
Location: Modesto, Calif.
Hometown: Irvine, Calif.
Education: Professional culinary certification, Culinary Lab Cooking School, Tustin, Calif.
Family Working In the Business: Nick Sciabica (grandfather, owner), Daniel Sciabica (great-uncle, owner/chief financial officer), Jonathan Sciabica (uncle, CEO), Christa Sciabica-Fitzgerald (cousin, board member), Nick Sciabica Jr. (brother, production)
Website: sunshineinabottle.com
Quote: “We’re not in the ‘olive oil’ business. We’re in the ‘customer happiness’ business.” — Jonathan Sciabica
