Shop focuses on freshness in its olive oils and vinegars

Island Olive Oil Co. opened its doors Monday at Ward Centre with a selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars the likes of which Hawaii has never seen, the owner says.

Why an olive oil and balsamic vinegar store?

"One, I’m a foodie and I appreciate it," said owner Dana Bergeman. "Two, I’m bringing in products previously unavailable in Hawaii. We’ll have the freshest olive oils you can get … as well as balsamic (vinegars), all from Modena (Italy)."

Quick, check your kitchen. If your balsamic vinegar is not from Modena, it’s not really balsamic vinegar.

"And three, I just … stumbled across the concept on the mainland through some friends of mine from college" and thought it was "fantastic," he said.

Many of the oils and vinegars are what you would expect, and many are unexpected infusions of Tuscan herb, chipotle, herbes de Provence, citrus, wild mushroom and sage, or Milanese gremolata, while infused balsamics have notes of chocolate, espresso, fig and fruit flavors, he said. His favorite is lavender-infused balsamic vinegar.

You can sample from among dozens of olive oils and balsamic vinegars the traditional way — with a small tasting cup — or the more familiar way for many, with a bit of bread.

Bergeman had to maintain his street cred but also remain approachable.

The bread is freshly baked by La Tour Bakehouse and also is for sale.

The oils and vinegars are not pre-bottled, sitting around on shelves getting dusty. Rather, they are contained in stainless-steel "fusti" and are decanted into the size bottle you want, as is done in Italy.

Most are sold for a flat rate, depending on bottle size. A 200-milliliter bottle sells for $12.95, a 375-milliliter bottle for $19.95 and a 750-milliliter bottle for $29.95, the last being the size of a typical wine bottle.

A flavor chart explains the olives, growing regions and flavor characteristics, because just as with grapes and wine, where an olive is grown is key to an oil’s flavor, an aspect known as terroir.

Olive oil made with "a frantoio olive is going to be different than oil made from a picual … and a picual grown in Australia is going to have a different flavor than a picual grown in Italy," Bergeman explained.

However, "unlike wine, olive oil doesn’t get better with age," so freshness is key in his store and his business model. It’s only fresh olive oil that contains health benefits including antioxidants and polyphenols, "but you’ve got to eat it fresh," Bergeman said. "If you’re eating old olive oil, you’re just eating fat."

The freshest oils at the moment are from the Southern Hemisphere, so his store is ripe with oils from Australia and Chile, for example.

Northern Hemisphere olive oils, from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and the like, will be ready in November and will get sent to the store via Bergeman’s California distributor.

Many grocery store olive oils are cheaper, and while specialty stores offer higher-end products, Bergeman knows his product is fresher. "I think our prices are pretty straightforward" and affordable, he said.

Area demographics also supported his belief the business will succeed. He is right next to Paul Brown Salon & Day Spa, in 1,000 square feet the salon is no longer using. Also, Bed Bath & Beyond will be joining the center as an anchor tenant, and that will drive a lot of traffic, he noted.

While he knew prices needed to be affordable for most customers, he also offers higher-end oils and balsamic vinegars for ūber-foodies and chefs.

Specialty oils include roasted California almond oil, Japa­nese roasted sesame oil, roasted fresh walnut oil, white truffle oil and black truffle oil. The higher-end oils range from $29.95 to $59.95, depending on the type of oil and size of bottle. A customer wanting a 200-milliliter bottle of black truffle oil would pay $39.95.

Bergeman also offers "rare, hard-to-get balsamics" that will range in price from $80 to $300 for 100 milliliters.

Additional food products Island Olive Oil Co. carries include imported sauces, jams, pestos and sea salts, though he’s looking to add Hawaiian salts that can also be packaged in-store.

His background has nothing to do with the food and beverage or retail industries, but in construction consultancy. He still owns and operates Bergeman Project Group.

"I’ve been doing that my whole career," but he launched this business because of passion for quality food, wine and beer. Research into olive oils and balsamics left him "blown away."

Both Bergeman Project Group and Island Olive Oil Co. are members of 1% for the Planet, established to contribute to "environmental or social causes," he said. Signatories agree to donate 1 percent of revenue, "not profit," to relevant causes.

"I think it’s the right thing to do … for future generations," Bergeman said.

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On the Net:

» www.facebook.com/islandoliveoil

» www.onepercentforthe­planet.org/en

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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.