FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Winterhill, Not Just Another Artisan Olive Oil - An Olive Oil That is Making a Difference

A dream has coming alive in the Sierra Nevada foothills for Annette Schoonover and partner Richard Wolf, who proudly announce the opening of their first retail store at 321 Main Street in historic downtown Placerville, California. The opening of the store coincides with their third release of Winterhill Farms certified extra virgin olive oil. Winterhill also offers flavored oils; lemon, orange and garlic. The store makes available all of their oils in bulk as well as in their signature art bottles. Customers can bring in their own bottles, or purchase empty ones in various sizes at the store for the quantities they want to purchase. This method, popular in Europe, not only is environmentally sound, it is also cost effective for the customer. The store also features unique specialty foods like authentic balsamic vinegar, artisanally produced chocolates, anti-oxidant coffees, teas, handcrafted and locally produced items and gift baskets. The store’s theme is Products With Passion, where most of the products are made with a passion and have a story told by its maker,” Wolf said. Winterhill will gladly ship any and all of your purchases to your home or to a gift recipient.

The bottles of Winterhill’s first oils are adorned with original artwork from local developmentally disabled artists Gina Michelle Simonsen and Jonni Tsujihara. “It is important to us that we create not only a successful business, but that Winterhill be a socially responsible business,” Schoonover said. “We are part of a growing network of entrepreneurs who believe it’s essential to give back to the community that sustains us.” Signed, limited edition 11-by-17 inch, full-color prints of this artwork, as well as Winterhill’s olive oils, are available online at the company’s website – www.winterhillfarms.com. Schoonover said 100 percent of the proceeds on the sales of the art prints will go to Southside Art Center ( www.southsideartcenter.com) and Mother Lode Rehabilitation Enterprises Inc. (www.morerehab.org ), the organizations that support these and other developmentally disabled artists in the area.

The christening of their third pressing is the culmination of Schoonover’s life-long desire to recapture the spirit of her “peasant farmer” Italian roots. Born Annette Severino to parents from Sicily, she has searched throughout California for just the perfect setting to keep her heritage alive and produce a healthful product in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Winterhill’s third release has been pressed from Mission Olives, grown in the rich soils and climate of California’s Central Coast. “First Cold Pressed” and unfiltered, this late harvest style oil has been certified by the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) as “Extra Virgin.” Extra virgin olive oil is obtained from the fruit of the tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions that do not lead to deterioration of the oil. No chemicals or extreme heat may be used during the extraction process. Extra virgin olive oil must pass a wide range of chemical tests, including a maximum acidity, in terms of oleic free fatty acid, of not more than .5 %. In addition, it must be judged defect-free with some olive fruitiness, determined through a blind sensory evaluation by COOC’s trained tasting panel (http://www.cooc.com). “COOC certification is so very important.  It’s amazing what is passed off as extra virgin olive oil in the retail market.  Many of our customers find that they have never tasted an olive oil with such full flavor and aroma as Winterhill’s,” Wolf said.

Winterhill Farms is located southeast of Placerville near the wineries of Fairplay and the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County. “As soon as we saw this area, we just knew it would be perfect for olives,” Schoonover said. “The rolling hills with their incredible sun exposure and fertile soil is very reminiscent of Tuscany.”