L.A. Marchesi and Wendy Diehl met when their sons were in the same kindergarten class and they lived in the same housing development. Over the years, their entrepreneurial spirit grew right alongside their friendship and they decided to start a business together. Both women were into healthy eating and living, but couldn’t quite figure out how to pass on that passion to the masses.
One night in 2011, L.A. was attending an art gallery opening in New Jersey and wanted to bring a congratulatory gift. She usually would bring a nice bottle of wine to this kind of event, but the artist was a recovering alcoholic. She wandered into an olive oil store near the gallery and tried some delicious varieties and purchased a beautiful bottle for the artist. The idea struck her almost immediately and she called Wendy to let her know that they were getting into the olive oil business. Bella D’Oliva was born.
L.A. and Wendy soon found out that there was a lot to learn about olive oil. They knew that there were possible health benefits such as protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, but they were shocked to find out that most commercially available olive oils are not pure. These olive oils lose their pure flavor as well as their healthful advantages when they are subjected to harsh conditions during pressing of the olives, packaging, storage and delivery of the products. They set out to do as much research as possible in order to produce the best tasting product with the highest levels of health benefits. The two women visited Italy several times, meeting with scientists, farmers and artisans to learn as much as they could about pure extra virgin olive. They even took Italian lessons so they could converse with all of their experts.
The ladies finally decided that their first collection would come from the beautiful region of Puglia, Italy. Puglia lies in the “heel” of Italy’s boot and along the Adriatic Sea. This region produces as much as two-thirds of the olive oil that comes from Italy. So, in November 2012, they ventured on another trip to Italy, this time participating in the harvest of the olives and overseeing the pressing into oils. Their olive oil comes from the first press only, guaranteeing that it is pure. Additionally, their manufacturer is certified by the Italian government as a maker of D.O.P. products: products of protected origin. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not 100% pure unless it has this special distinction, so Wendy and L.A. are proud to offer their product to consumers. Their olive oil is put directly into hand-sealed, opaque bottles within 12 to 18 hours of the harvest. These bottles keep light out and vital health-giving properties and taste in. Additionally, the bottles are stored in a temperature-controlled warehouse.
Bella D’Oliva currently offers three varieties of their limited edition product:
Adornare
An intense, smooth, strong fruit taste with a peppery finish, recommended for the stronger palate. Use it to “adorn” your dishes as a beautiful finishing oil. This pairs well with vegetables, pasta and fish.
Aumentare
A delicate, velvety, strong buttery taste with a bitter finish, recommended for the more sensitive palate. Use this to enhance your dishes as a beautiful salad dressing or dipping oil for rustic breads.
Indulgere
A very pungent bouquet with notes of artichoke, recommended for lovers of strong and full-flavored tastes. Use this to enhance red meat, legumes and bruschetta.
These three oils are not meant to be heated, but to be used to finish dishes and add that special pop of flavor. Because these are limited edition 100% pure extra virgin olive oils, only 3600 bottles were produced. Each retails for $48.95, but Bella D’Oliva is offering Town Dish readers a special discount. Simply use the code TOWNDISH for 15% off your first online order and the code REORDERS for 20% off any subsequent order.
Photos courtesy of Bella D’Oliva.
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