Corto & the Cortopassi Family

As a farming family, the Cortopassi’s food traditions reach back generations to Lucca, Italy. Knowing how fresh olive oil is supposed to taste created our passion for crafting exceptionally fresh fall harvest olive oil at the peak of flavor.

When our patriarch Dino Cortopassi found a new way to plant and harvest olives in trellised, vineyard-style rows to produce especially consistent, fresh-tasting extra virgin olive oil (like imported olive oil used to taste), he founded Corto Olive to grow and press our own premium olive oil in California.

That innovation continues every step of the way from harvest to crafting our oil in our state-of-the-art mill, working in small batches in our cellar, and finally, protecting the oil in our oxygen-free FlavorLock™ Box.

With this combined legacy of tradition and innovation, Corto upholds its mission to support and inspire independent restaurant chefs and restaurateurs to create even more flavorful dishes – and explore entirely new culinary possibilities – using premium fresh olive oil.  

Since its beginning, Corto has been a longstanding member of the COOC. Co-Founder Brady Whitlow served on the Board of Directors from 2008 through 2012, and as the industry has grown, Dino, Brady and the entire Cortopassi family have remained committed to their role as leaders in a growing industry.

The COOC works hard to ensure that consumers can trust California oils, and we will continue to support the industry through our work with both the COOC and the Olive Oil Commission of California.

Brady Whitlow, Corto