Round Pond is gourmet olive oil at its finest
February 24th, 2008
I first learned about Round Pond in a holiday issue of Real Simple magazine. I was reading a feature highlighting perfect hostess gifts and Round Pond caught my eye. I’d like to say it was because of the artisan gourmet olive oils and vinegars but what I actually fell in love with first were Round Pond’s uniquely shaped miniature bottles used in their gift sets. It was only later, when I was able to try Round Pond’s olive oil in my kitchen that I fell in love with the gift inside the bottle.
We have a lot of readers who know a lot more about olive oils and vinegars than I ever will, but even though I’m no connoisseur I do know a good thing when I see–and taste–one. To give you a little “taste” of Round Pond’s gourmet olive oils (Italian Varietal; Spanish Varietal; Blood Orange; Meyer Lemon) and vinegars (Cabernet & Merlot; Sangiovese & Nebbiolo), here’s a little background on this family-owned business:
At Round Pond, we believe that excellence is achieved through a seamless blend of Old World traditions and state-of-the-art innovation. We walk the vineyards and orchards daily and carefully tend to our grape vines and olive trees. All of our fruit is organically or sustainably farmed and hand-harvested. … We perform all of our blending and bottling by hand in order to ensure the highest levels of quality.
Round Pond is a welcome change from the world of mass production and Costco-size vats of olive oil.
I couldn’t wait to try Round Pond’s Italian Varietal olive oil and Cabernet & Merlot red wine vinegar. Though I have yet to try the red wine vinegar (the recipe I had for that disappeared from my kitchen) I did give the olive oil a thorough “test” with last night’s dinner and salad. I may not know much about olive oils but I do know Round Pond smelled better, looked better, cooked better, and tasted better than any other olive oil I’ve used in the past. (I may not be a gourmet chef but I have experimented with different brands, from gourmet shops to local grocery store.)
But back to the hostess gift idea. Though the holidays are over you will find opportunities throughout the year for gifting. Easter is just around the corner and many will get together for a scrumptious Easter dinner. What better way to enjoy a good meal than with a drizzle of a truly gourmet olive oil? Whether you’re giving your hostess one of Round Pond’s Mini 4- or 6-Bottle Gift Sets (the bottles are to die for!) or a Signature Gift Set, you’ll receive the seat of honor for bringing a taste of Napa Valley to the table. –Emily
P.S. The yummy recipes I used with my new Round Pond gourmet olive oil was from Gourmet Momma. Try her Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms with a side of Panzanella Salad. Yum!
