Holiday Open House at Bondolio Olive Farm in Winters, December 11

Thanks to Judy Doherty for contributing photos from various visits to Bondolio.

One of our favorite events of the holiday season comes up this Sunday, December 11 from 10 am to 4 pm when Karen and Malcolm Bond open their Bondolio Olive Farm for their annual Holiday Open House. Join them in celebrating both the season and the treasure of this year’s olive harvest, the 2022 Olio Nuovo. This fresh, new olive oil is prized and extremely limited, but guests at this celebration will get to taste it along with the Bondolio 2022 Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Mandarin Orange Olive Oil.

Everyone is welcome, admission is free, and no reservations are necessary. Most activities will be outside on the patio with ample room for safe distancing. Inside the tasting room and mill, guided tastings and shopping will be available.

Here’s our guide to the event:

1. Enjoy Malcolm’s pizzas as they come out from the outdoor wood-burning oven. You’ll want to try your pizza drizzled with the new oil. The pizzas, along with wines, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, will be available for purchase and enjoyment on the patio.
2. Meet nationally acclaimed chef and author Reem Assil, who will be there from 11am to 1pm signing copies of her first cookbook ARABIYYA: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora and inviting guests to sample one of her signature recipes and spice blends.
3. Enjoy the olive grove setting, which is reminiscent of a Sicilian frantoio (olive mill) next to the marketplace.
4. Taste artisan chutney maker Allison McQuade’s Celtic Chutney. She always has several to try with cheese and crackers.
5. Try the L’Apéro les Trois French-inspired aperitifs handcrafted from Berryessa Gap wines and infused with fruit from historic Winters orchards.
6. Another guest favorite is the maple syrup tasting with Runamok, a Vermont crafter, sharing their popular organic maple syrups.

The marketplace offers culinary gifts and confections from Italy, Spain, and France, along with cookbooks, artisan pantry staples, and gifts for the home, making for enjoyable holiday shopping and a most welcome respite during this busy season. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Angel Flight West, where volunteer pilots fly people in need to medical appointments at no cost to the passenger.

Visit bondolio.com for more information. The Bondolio Olive Farm is located at 9352 Campbell Road about 5 miles east of downtown Winters.