Olive trees are among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world: it was grown before the written language was invented. The Olive was a native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago. Like the grape, the Christian missionaries brought the olive tree with them to California for food but also for ceremonial use. As the Franciscans established missions in California they also planted olive groves, the first California olive trees planted around 1789 at the Mission San Diego and then going north from there.
Unknown early Napa Valley farmers planted the Rutherford Hill olive orchard over 100 years ago. By the 1960’s the grove had been abandoned and had fallen into disrepair. Lila Jaeger, a founding member of the California Olive Oil Council and wife of Rutherford Hill’s founding partner Bill Jaeger, took a great interest in the winery’s olive trees and directed the work necessary to rehabilitate the grove.
Rutherford Hill’s 6-acre orchard consists of over 200 trees, some of which are over 100 years in age, making it one of the oldest groves in the Napa Valley. The trees are a mixed field blend that includes Nevadillo, Lucques and Redding Picholine. The olive harvest occurs in late fall, after the grape harvest, which entails manually shaking the trees to encourage the olives to fall. After the crop is gathered and sorted, it is then pressed and bottled by a local oil mill to create our premium quality extra virgin olive oil. We are proud to sell this product from these special trees in our Tasting Room.