The name Stella Cadente sounds romantic, even if one doesn�t know that it means �shooting star� in Italian. Away from city lights in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County the nights are very dark, and the summer months bring a spectacular display of shooting stars. This was founders Sue Ellery and Tom Hunter�s inspiration for the name of Shooting Star Ranch and Stella Cadente Olive Oil.

From these proud roots, Stella Cadente has grown to become the premier source for oils produced from Mendocino County�s unmatched Tuscan-style olives. Today, many of the olives are sourced from small family farms and wineries in the hills and valleys of the county, produced sustainably and independently, as are many of the regions well-known wines.

The newest member of the Stella Cadente family is Mendocino County chef Julia Kendrick Conway. A devoted fan of Stella Cadente�s oils from her tenure as a manager at a local specialty food store, Julia was a natural choice to take the company to the next level. With culinary training from the Napa Valley�s Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and at a farm school in Tuscany, Julia brings a cook�s perspective and palate to product development and marketing.

A local leader for Slow Food, Julia believes that Stella Cadente�s local wine-country roots are an essential part of product�s identity. �As technology continues to separate people from each other and from their culinary roots, it is important to remember where our food comes from. This is why the company�s expansion will always be tied to the sense of place established by the farmers themselves. The work of their hands brings the goodness of the land to our tables.�

Stella Cadente�s olive oils have one foot in the future and one foot in the past. The olives on the ranch, and at the surrounding Mendocino County family farms and wineries are farmed without pesticides, hand picked to avoid bruising the delicate fruit, and rushed to the press within hours of picking. Using a combination of traditional stone-wheel crushing and modern milling technologies, the resulting oils showcase a range of flavors, described by Slow Food Italia: �The predominant flavor of new olives is accompanied by notes of mown hay, tomato leaves and aromatic herbs. The taste corresponds with the smell; the oil is very lively, with a good texture and pleasingly bitter and spicy notes.�

A favorite of local and San Francisco Bay area chefs alike, Stella Cadente is often a feature of special dinners, wine tastings and cooking demonstrations. Club Stella memberships, the ultimate gift for olive-oil lovers, can be purchased on the site. Recipes on the site have been contributed by chefs, staff, and customers.