We Olive Extra Virgin Olive Oil Retailer Opens In Thousand Oaks

Tasting Room Offers Over 20 California Olive Oils for Sampling,
Epicurean Products and a Tasting Bar of California Produced Wines

Thousand Oaks, CA April 8, 2013 We Olive, the California-based Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) retailer has opened its eleventh retail tasting bar in Thousand Oaks, California. Located at The Oaks Mall Outdoor Plaza, the We Olive tasting bar is a one-of-a-kind "Olive Oil Experience" for Thousand Oaks and greater Los Angeles. We Olive Thousand Oaks will be the third location featuring a casual wine bar for guests to enjoy a discerning selection of artisanal wines exclusively from California producers. As in other stores, We Olive Thousand Oaks plans a program of regular educational lectures with olive producers on topics ranging from growing, harvesting and producing to tasting, cooking and innovative food pairing concepts.

We Olive Thousand Oaks offers daily public tastings of more than 20 California produced Extra Virgin Olive Oils, a variety of epicurean balsamics, tapenades, pestos, vinegars, mustards, olive oil bath products, olive oil themed books and gifts, all presented in an elegantly crafted space by a highly trained staff that explains varietals and nuances to customers. The store features 50 & 25 liter fustinos - stainless steel vessels for dispensing olive oil - of a rotating roster of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil for tasting and selection. The extra virgin oils sold at We Olive are certified by the California Olive Oil Council. Store hours are Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 9:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm.

Alan and Pam Davis, Owners of the Thousand Oaks store, are passionate about bringing We Olive to Thousand Oaks and being part of the community. "We found The Oaks to be a perfect setting for our store; there is so much to do here. Our neighbors can spend the day shopping or going to the movies and then come relax with us with a glass of California wine and taste some of our certified extra virgin olive oils as we help guide them in their selection," says Alan Davis. And Ruth Mercurio, owner of We Olive LLC and a member of the California Olive Oil Council's Board of Directors, is thrilled to be celebrating the company's 10th Anniversary by opening in Thousand Oaks. "Our first store opened in 2003 in Paso Robles, creating a place for California's artisan growers to market fresh, delicious and healthy Extra Virgin Olive Oil; now we can introduce this experience to the residents of Thousand Oaks."

California's ideal climate fits We Olive's mission to educate guests about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil. In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration approved a qualified health claim for olive oil indicating a reduced risk of heart disease. Indeed, a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine further confirmed the heart healthy benefits of the Mediterranean diet. In this study, participants given a diet that included at least a quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil a day were shown to lower the risk having a heart attack, stroke or dying from cardiovascular disease by 30%. This data confirms that extra virgin olive oil is a rare product that is not only good tasting but can also have superior health benefits.

California is increasingly recognized internationally for award-winning EVOO. According to the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), there are over 200 producers of world-class olive oil in California, which produce 99% of the nation's olive oil. The best tasting and least processed Extra Virgin Olive Oil provides the most health benefits. Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from the first press of freshly harvested, undamaged olive fruit. No chemicals or excessive heat can be used to extract the oil - only mech