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The tall Olivina arch at the intersection of Arroyo and Wetmore roads is hard to miss.
Sara Smith installed the arch in 1906 to honor her late husband’s contributions to their South Livermore property and his internationally award-winning wines. Co-founder of cleaning agent Twenty Mule Team Borox and a pioneer viticulturist, Julius Paul Smith bought 2,000 acres in 1881. The estate name, Olivina, reflected the vines he acquired from France and the cuttings brought from old olive trees at the Fremont Mission San José.
To mark the heritage of Olivina as one of the Livermore Valley’s early, wine-growing and olive-producing properties, the Olivina arch was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1958.
Located on the southeastern section of the original Smith estate, Olivina is currently the largest olive orchard in the East Bay with 10,000 trees.
“We are fortunate to have a quality product so local. Olivina Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is pristine. We use their Mission oil as a finishing sauce and even over ice cream,” said Francis X. Hogan, founding chef and culinary director of Sabio and Crush’d.
Bernard Crohare purchased 800 acres of the Smith estate in 1939. Third-generation Charles F. Crohare led Olivina for 70 years until his death in 2023. During his tenure, Crohare sold part of the Olivia property for the establishment of Sycamore Grove Park.
Olivina’s EVOO quality ramped up in 2007 when the Crohares purchased an Italian-made olive mill. The new mill brought more efficient, modern processes to ensure freshness and timely processing of the olives, critical factors in handling the delicate fruit that deteriorates quickly.
“With estate grown olives, we can harvest and mill them immediately at optimum ripeness,” said fourth-generation Charles T. Crohare, who is the Olivina master miller. “We honor the legacy of Olivina to Livermore agriculture with displays and artifacts in our barn.”
Tastings and sales of Olivina EVOO and Olivina vinegars, both fig and blackberry, are held twice monthly at the Olivina barn on Arroyo Road near Wente Vineyards and at the Pleasanton Farmers Market. The EVOO is sold at select local markets, served at a half-dozen local restaurants and two nurseries.
The 70-acre orchard produces six olive varieties (cultivars), from delicate Arbequina to mildly peppery Mission and robust Frantoio. Olivina EVOO is certified by the California Olive Oil Commission, which means the oils undergo mandatory chemical analysis to pinpoint impurities and a sensory evaluation to check for other defects.
Crohare is quick to explain that not all bottles labeled “EVOO” are equal.
“The ’60 Minutes’ Agromafia segment in 2016 exposed the fraud committed by Italian producers with knockoffs that relabeled lower-quality oils from other countries as their EVOO. Some producers continue to adulterate EVOO with safflower oil,” he said.
The mill takes up an entire room and looks like an AI-generated movie creature.
Before milling, Crohare said, the olives get a Jacuzzi-style water bath. The olives are then crushed into an oatmeal-like paste. The centrifuge separates out the skin, pits and water. The separator then spins to yield the pure EVOO.
With California EVOO experiencing a renaissance and the wine industry, a downturn, additional olive trees are popping up in lieu of vineyard planting. Crohare oversees custom milling for others.
In 2016, Rancho Milagro began harvesting olives from their young trees on Mines Road in Livermore. Early on, “An EVOO expert told us, ‘The olive miller can make or break your EVOO.’ We are incredibly pleased with the quality of the EVOO Charles Crohare makes for us. He prepares the equipment carefully for our award-winning oils,” owner Nancy Frishberg said.
In the tradition of old village milling, Crohare holds an annual Community Milling Day. On Nov. 8 this year, residential olive tree owners and small olive growers can bring their fruit from one or more trees and receive a percentage of the extracted oil based on the amount of their contribution.
For those who dislike wine or are underage for alcohol tasting, Olivina offers an opportunity for people of all ages to taste a quality Livermore Valley agricultural product.
At Olivina’s private functions and community events such as the recent “Hint of Harvest” sponsored by the Livermore Valley Women’s Wine Collective, most hosts request an EVOO tasting. Attendee Emily Watts of Livermore said, “I came for the wine, but the Olivina oils were a bonus.”
