Olive Oil Traders
Writer Stephanie Maher Palenque
On a perfect summer morning, we set out for the high country, ready to get a taste of something new. The clear, blue, pre-monsoon sky stretched out in front of us with a day full of promise ahead. My daughters were looking forward to this day trip almost as much as we were. There have been few tasting trips that they have been able to take full advantage of, and the day offered the perfect opportunity. Nestled in the heart of Old Town Cottonwood is a gourmet retail store unlike any other in Arizona. The shop features 36 on-tap aged balsamic vinegars and olive oils. Visitors are encouraged to taste them as they please, before making final purchasing decisions. According to owner, Mike Kilpatrick, European patrons would never consider purchasing olive oils or wines without being able to first taste the product. Patrons at Verde Valley Olive Oil are not only permitted to, but encouraged to taste until their heart is (or taste buds are) content. The place is family-friendly and relaxed. My daughters felt very comfortable as they roamed from fusti to fusti (the stainless steel airtight tasting containers that are made only in Italy) sampling and comparing flavors. Some of these flavors are amazing – black cherry, dark chocolate, maple, and golden pineapple white, just to name a few of our favorites. An afternoon at Olive Oil Traders ignites anyone’s culinary creativity – you can hardly wait to get home and try these olive oils and balsamic vinegars in your salads, poultry, desserts and just about anything else.
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Mike’s wife, Dawn Waltman, co-owner of Verde Valley Oil Traders, was the ultimate hostess. She moved with ease about the tasting area, suggesting flavors that she knew would blow our minds. Her culinary suggestions were outside of the box. Suggestions such as ripe peach balsamic vinegar drizzled over cobbler, Vermont maple dark balsamic vinegar over oatmeal in the morning, and cranberry pear white balsamic vinegar as a glaze for poultry made us anxious to return home with some bottles to get started creating new recipes. The pair makes it a point to hire mixologists who are passionate and well-versed on olive oils and balsamics. Mike considers himself in the “edu-tainment” business. After all, learning should be fun, as well as enlightening. Mike, along with the stars from his team, gently offer suggestions and pairing ideas as you make your way around the store. They are like …olive oil whisperers. Mike and Dawn purchase all 36 varieties from a single importer whose family has been in the olive oil import business since 1924. All varieties are bottled and labeled on site, usually by Samantha Galatioto, one of the stars on the Olive Oil Traders’ team. Another accomplished mixologist is Linda Kuschel, who has honed her culinary skills as a professional chef all over the world. Mike enjoys seeing his vision coming to fruition. His first space, just down the street from his current 2000+ -square-foot space, was only just over 900 square feet. They opened in their first location