Season to Taste opens in October with 50 different olive oils and balsamic vinegars
While Chris and Ginger Musso’s daughter was living in Europe, she told them about a new trend there: olive oil and vinegar tasting rooms.
“They were everywhere, especially in Germany,” Ginger says. “Then we did some research and found that there’s tons in the U.S., but the closest one to Baton Rouge is in New Orleans.”
The couple loved the concept so much, they began working on their own olive oil and vinegar tasting room on Highland Road. Season to Taste will have a by-invitation soft opening the first week of October. The store will officially open Oct. 15.
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The store will feature more than 50 different fused and infused olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars.
Chris and Ginger say they’re implementing a “don’t buy until you taste” concept, meaning customers are free to sip and dip bread and crackers in the different oils and vinegars until they find one they like.
Flavors of the customer’s choosing are then bottled on the spot in 200, 375 or 750 milliliter bottles.
Each oil and vinegar is kept in its own fusti, a large steel bin with a dispenser.
Chris says they are really stressing the freshness of the products. The oils and vinegars come from a supplier out of Oakland, California, that has harvest sites in Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and Greece.
“We’re really taking the tasting experience to the next level,” Chris says.
I got to sample some of the oils and vinegars at Season to Taste, and here are some highlights:
• Pineapple white balsamic vinegar: I should have dipped bread in this one instead of taking a swig. It’s intense, but would go really well over something like a plate of cheese and strawberries.
• Chipotle-fused olive oil: I want to cook all of my meals in this. Who needs butter?
• Mushroom and sage-infused olive oil with Neapolitan herb balsamic vinegar: This might become my permanent spinach salad dressing.
• Dark chocolate balsamic vinegar: I dipped a cracker in this one, but it had me dreaming of dark chocolate cherry ice cream.
In the store, recommended food and drink pairings are listed next to each container. Chris and Ginger will also provide recipes for meals using the different flavors.
Season to Taste also has a selection of extra virgin olive oils for health benefits. The Mussos will provide informational fliers to customers with the nutrition facts of each one.
The tasting room offers a small coffee bar with lattes, cappucinos and espresso using Lavazza Italian coffee. They also offer a variety of all-natural beauty products like soaps and lotions, candles and other small novelties.
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The tasting room will be open during the day for walk-in tastings and purchases, and private tasting parties can be reserved.
Season to Taste is at 17650 Highland Road.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since its original posting to correct inaccuracies.