Wine tastings? Sure, but a unique (and free) tasting option in Modesto might surprise you
While you might enjoy wine, beer and other types of tastings, there’s another you might not have considered that’s offered regularly in Modesto: olive oil.
You can sip from a variety of samples of Sciabica’s California Olive Oil at its Yosemite Boulevard gift shop and tasting room by dropping by on weekdays between 8 a.m and 5 p.m. Tastings are free and groups can be accommodated by appointment.
And there’s a special event coming up when you can taste the olive oils and more. The Farm2Fork Market is set for Friday, Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The free event celebrates Sciabica’s 87th anniversary, showcasing nearly 20 local artisan food-crafters with live music, food sampling, beer, wine and hard cider tastings, along with raffle prizes and special event sales.
It will be held at its tasting room and gift shop, 2150 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto.
The company has been holding markets annually since 2011, according to CEO Jonathan Sciabica, with a two-year pandemic break in 2020 and 2021.
It started as “kind of an ice breaker” to make people aware of the gift shop and tasting room, he said.
The first year, “we really didn’t know what to expect, but we were completely overwhelmed by the number of people who came.”
The market also has become a thank you to the community where his family has been producing olive oil since 1936, he said.
The beer, wine and apple cider tastings at the market event require a $10 donation to MoBand, Sciabica said. Otherwise, attendance, olive oil and food sampling are free. There will be products to purchase and food vendors selling outside.
How to sample olive oil
Olive oil tasting is done by sipping, not dipping. The oil is poured into small cups and customers are encouraged to hold the cups in their hands to warm the oil slightly, Sciabica said, to release the aromatics. Then they sip from the cup.
“I always said it’s the healthiest shot you’ll ever take,” he said.
So, what do you look for when tasting olive oil?
“For the flavored olive oils, it’s a very intuitive experience,” Sciabica said in an email. “Customers are delighted to experience the fresh flavor that ‘agrumato-method’ flavored olive oils offer. ‘Agrumato’ means we send real fruits or herbs with the olives into the press (vs infusing the flavor with extracts and artificial flavors).”
For varietal olive oils, he said people can experience the range of intensity from buttery and sweet to peppery and bitter.
There are more than a dozen olive oil varieties to taste from — garlic, lemon, jalapeno, fruity and smooth, to name just a few. All will be available for tasting at the Farm2Fork Market.
Another big opening the next day
The day after the market, Sciabica will open its new taproom for its Track 424 Brewery. The B-Day Party in the Taproom is set for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 26 at the same Yosemite Boulevard location and is free and open to the public.
Sciabica said they began brewing beer in 2020, spent two years developing the recipe and started selling it a year ago. “We really wanted to put out craft beer that we really think is perfect before (selling it),” he said.
They now have two beers on the market: Bright Track, a hazy IPA, and Chug Along, a pilsner. But they’ll be introducing a third beer at the Aug. 26 party, Hopomotive, a West Coast IPA.
The beer tastings also are free and available during gift shop hours. Again, groups are by appointment.
The Tap Room will be open Thursdays through Saturdays beginning Oct. 5. In addition to free tastings, it will sell flights of beer, according to Sciabica.
“We really hope the taproom will encourage people to pull into our parking lot,” he said, “instead of driving right by.”
This story was originally published August 23, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
