McEvoy Ranch

5935 Red Hill Rd./D St., 6 mi. SW of town, (707) 778-2307. Daily 11am-5pm by reservation; olive oil tasting $30, age 5 and under free; tours $55 & 95.

overview of McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, California

Situated at the end of a scenic, narrow, private back road, the 550-acre McEvoy Ranch offers a spectacular landscape. From the parking lot, you can see lavender fields up close and groves of olive trees amid rolling hills way off in the distance.

pond-side seating at McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma

300-year-old black oak tree at McEvoy Ranch
in Petaluma, California

Upon check-in for the olive oil tasting, visitors are offered a “splash” of wine to carry along as they make a seating selection. I chose two pond-side, Adirondack-style chairs, which were very comfortable and offered a spectacular view that included a sprawling 300-year-old black oak tree and red-winged blackbirds. As it was a bit nippy, our tasting guide offered us each a heavy blanket that made things much more pleasant.

olive-oil tasting guide at McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, California

olive-oil tasting set-up at McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, California

Our guide brought a basket of bread bits and five small bowls of olive oils for us to taste. He described each and explained that they are all Italian style, that none are infused, and that the ranch uses an old stone wheel to cut and squish some olives and uses a more contemporary blade hammer mill for others. Pressing occurs in
November, which makes that month a particularly interesting time to visit.

We tasted chai spice, herbs de Provence, and basil. Additional flavors cost $3 each, and a vinegar tasting is available for $8.