Corto Olive Co. Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation with the Release of Its 2025 Harvest TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ranked the No. 1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the U.S. for Six Consecutive Years

Lodi, Calif., Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corto Olive Co., the 100% California-grown olive oil trusted by chefs nationwide, celebrates 20 years of innovation with the release of its 2025 harvest TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Most recently named 2025 EVOO of the Year by the EVOO World Ranking Organization, TRULY® has now ranked as the No. 1 extra virgin olive oil in the United States for six consecutive years.

Founded in 2005, Corto has helped reshape how olive oil is grown, milled, understood and used in professional and home kitchens. By treating olive oil as a harvest-fresh ingredient — not a shelf-stable commodity — Corto has played a defining role in establishing California premium olive oil among the best in the world.

The 2025 harvest TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil is available to professional and home chefs at Corto-Olive.com.

Built on Freshness. Driven by Innovation.
For two decades, Corto has operated with a simple but uncompromising belief: olive oil should be handled with the same care as farm-fresh produce.

That philosophy guides every stage of production. Olives are harvested at peak freshness and milled within hours of picking to protect freshness and flavor integrity. The oil is cold-extracted, then stored in climate-controlled stainless-steel tanks to protect its sensory characteristics until it is filled on demand. By controlling each step — from grove to mill to packaging — Corto ensures that chefs and home cooks experience olive oil as a vibrant, fresh ingredient.

“California can produce olive oil that rivals — and often surpasses — the world’s finest,” said Corto co-owner, Tom Cortopassi, whose family has long specialized in creating premium California-grown olive oil and tomatoes. “Twenty years in, our commitment to freshness, flavor, and integrity hasn’t changed. What’s expanded is our vision for how olive oil can take its place as one of California’s great agricultural and culinary products.”

Global Recognition for California Olive Oil
Corto’s dedication to quality continues to earn international distinction. In addition to its U.S. ranking, TRULY® was recently honored with the International Expoliva Award in Jaén, Spain, one of the world’s most respected olive oil competitions. Corto was the only U.S. producer to receive the award.

“Much like Napa Valley shocked the wine world at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, American olive oil is now stepping into the global spotlight,” said David Garci-Aguirre, Corto Master Miller. “Corto’s recognition alongside historic European producers is powerful validation.”

Corto has also been named a chef favorite by Food & Wine, highlighted by Wirecutter for quality and flavor, and consistently chosen by chefs and restaurants recognized by the James Beard Foundation.

Protecting Freshness from Field to Kitchen
A defining innovation of Corto’s approach is its FlavorLock™ Box, designed to shield olive oil from oxygen and light — two of the greatest threats to olive oil freshness.

Filled on demand with harvest-fresh oil, the packaging protects vibrant flavor from first pour to last. The FlavorLock™ Box was named a 2025 Serious Eats Gear Award Winner, recognized for both product quality and thoughtful design, including a built-in precision spout. It also delivers meaningful sustainability benefits, using significantly less material and producing up to 90% less environmental impact than single-use glass bottles, according to a 2021 research study by Carmen Ferrara and Giovanni De Feo at the University of Ioannina.

Investing in the Culinary Community
Central to Corto’s 20-year impact has been its deep collaboration with and support of chefs. Through hands-on education, guided tastings, and in-kitchen partnerships, Corto has helped redefine how professional kitchens understand and use extra virgin olive oil.

Led by Master Miller David Garci-Aguirre and brand educators Lisa Pollack and Chef Whitney Otawka, the company’s Chef Taste Panel has guided flavor innovation and quality standards. The Chef Taste Panel’s influence comes to life most notably in Corto’s annual, sell-out Agrumato-Method Olive Oil release. Agrumato oils are created by simultaneously crushing and cold-extracting olives with fresh seasonal ingredients such as Calabrian chilies or lemon verbena, rather than by infusing them afterward.

“Agrumato as a whole is an interesting development for the culinary industry,” said Chef Trevor Knotts, executive chef at East Coast Provisions and a member of Corto’s Chef Taste Panel. “That kind of flavor, complexity, and balance—without having to make something on your own—is a game changer.”

In 2026, Corto will expand the Chef Taste Panel beyond its current five members by inviting any chef who participates in Corto’s education programs to join.

“It’s about shared progress,” Garci-Aguirre added. “We’ve learned so much over 20 years. Now we’re focused on helping move the entire category forward.”

Corto also continues its investment in the next generation of culinary talent through its Annual Pizza Scholarship, entering its third year in 2026 in partnership with Stanislaus Food Products, Pizza University, and Women’s Pizza Month. Applications for the Pizza Scholarship open March 1, 2026.

Quick Facts
Founded: 2005
Milestone: 20th Harvest (2025)
Ranking: No. 1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the U.S. for six consecutive years
2025 Recognition: EVOO of the Year (EVOO World Ranking Organization)
International Award: International Expoliva Award (Jaén, Spain)
Signature Packaging: FlavorLock™ Box
Products: TRULY® EVOO, Agrumato-Method olive oils, La Padella® Sauté Oil, and Chef’s Essentials Kit, featuring Stanislaus Piccolo^® Datterini Baby Plum Tomatoes and TRULY^® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Available: Corto-Olive.com

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the No. 1 extra virgin olive oil in the United States?
According to the EVOO World Ranking Organization, Corto TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil has ranked as the No. 1 extra virgin olive oil in the United States for six consecutive years and was named 2025 EVOO of the Year.

What makes Corto olive oil different?
Corto harvests olives at peak maturity, mills within hours of picking, cold-extracts the oil, stores it in climate-controlled stainless steel, and fills it on demand in its FlavorLock™ Box to protect freshness.

Where is Corto olive oil produced?
Corto produces 100% California-grown olive oil in Lodi, California.

What is the FlavorLock™ Box?
The FlavorLock™ Box is Corto’s proprietary packaging that protects olive oil from oxygen and light, helping maintain harvest-fresh flavor while reducing environmental impact compared to glass bottles.

How Has Corto Helped Shape the Modern U.S. Olive Oil Category?
Since 2005, Corto has treated olive oil as a fresh agricultural product rather than a commodity, helping chefs rethink how extra virgin olive oil should taste, perform, and be evaluated in professional kitchens.

ABOUT CORTO OLIVE CO.
Rooted in its Italian heritage, inspired by innovation, and committed to its values of transparency and quality, Corto has been producing the highest quality, freshest, 100% California olive oil since 2005. Made from beautifully fresh olives grown in California groves, the oil is expertly blended by Corto’s Master Miller to achieve a stunningly bright flavor profile that professional chefs have relied on for over a decade to enhance their favorite dishes. Corto currently offers consumers several award-winning oil varieties to fit every type of cooking: TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil, limited-edition Agrumato-Method olive oil, La Padella® Sauté Oil, and the Chef’s Essentials Kit, featuring the exclusive Piccolo® Datterini Baby Plum Tomatoes from Stanislaus Food Products. The Company also offers Club Corto memberships, virtual tasting experiences, and foodservice formats, including its 51-49 blend.

Attachments

Contact:
Corto PR
Molly Antos
corto-pr@dadascope.com

20 Years of Corto TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Corto Olive Co., the 100% California-grown olive oil trusted by chefs nationwide, celebrates 20 years of innovation with the release of its 2025 harvest TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Most recently named 2025 EVOO of the Year by the EVOO World Ranking Organization, TRULY® has now ranked as the No. 1 extra virgin olive oil in the United States for six consecutive years.

Protecting Freshness from Field to Kitchen

Founded in 2005, Corto has helped reshape how olive oil is grown, milled, understood and used in professional and home kitchens. By treating olive oil as a harvest-fresh ingredient — not a shelf-stable commodity — Corto has played a defining role in establishing California premium olive oil among the best in the world. The 2025 harvest TRULY® Extra Virgin Olive Oil is available to professional and home chefs at Corto-Olive.com.

Built on Freshness. Driven by Innovation.

For two decades, Corto has operated with a simple but uncompromising belief: olive oil should be handled with the same care as farm-fresh produce. That philosophy guides every stage of production. Olives are harvested at peak freshness and milled within hours of picking to protect freshness and flavor integrity. The oil is cold-extracted, then stored in climate-controlled stainless-steel tanks to protect its sensory characteristics until it is filled on demand.

Investing in the Culinary Community

Central to Corto’s 20-year impact has been its deep collaboration with and support of chefs. Through hands-on education, guided tastings, and in-kitchen partnerships, Corto has helped redefine how professional kitchens understand and use extra virgin olive oil. Led by Master Miller David Garci-Aguirre and brand educators Lisa Pollack and Chef Whitney Otawka, the company’s Chef Taste Panel has guided flavor innovation and quality standards.

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