Basque Away
Basque Away is a female owned and operated olive ranch located in Creston, near Paso Robles, California, in San Luis Obispo County. They tend to 657 Arbequina, Mission and Picholine olive trees across their estate, maximising the region's Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool nights. Founded in 2018, the company was named in honour of the Basque heritage of cofounder Guy's mother, whose parents immigrated from Vizcaya and Navarre to Nevada where they had a sheep ranch. After raising nine children, Guy's mother and her husband moved to Sonoma, California where she continued to thrive in her garden.
Prior to establishing Basque Away, Cynthia retired from a forty-year career as a lawyer in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of her fondest childhood memories was sitting with her Cuban father overlooking the El Generalife gardens and Alhambra in Spain, enjoying tapas and olives whilst sipping fino sherry. This early appreciation for quality olive oil inspired her later pursuit in the olive industry.
All olives are hand harvested and pressed within hours of picking to produce their estate grown EVOOs. The operation specializes in high-polyphenol oils, with recent releases achieving as high as 733mg/kg, as verified by independent third-party laboratory testing. The International Olive Council rates oils with a polyphenol count over 550mg/kg as "Very High," and each of Basque Away's releases meets this threshold.
Basque Away has been a member of the California Olive Oil Council since 2018 and has received multiple awards, including gold medals and best-in-class accolades, since first entering competitions in 2022. Their oils are certified by the California Olive Oil Council as "the finest quality extra virgin olive oil" after undergoing annual independent laboratory and blind sensory panel analysis that exceeds the standards imposed by the European Union and International Olive Council.
Cofounder Cynthia earned her Master Milling certificate from the UC Davis Olive Center in 2022 and serves on the California Olive Oil Council's Board of Directors.
The ranch offers complimentary olive oil tastings on their patio by appointment, overlooking the olive grove. Visitors may also purchase additional bottle sizes including 250ml, 266ml and 300ml options not available through online ordering. Basque Away also produces a Lemon Infused olive oil (using their 100% Arbequina as a base) and a No-Salt Seasoning blend. Sampler packs containing one bottle each of their 100% Arbequina, California Mission and Arbequina-Mission Reserve are available, offering a ten per cent discount compared to purchasing separately. A subscription service provides a fifteen per cent reduction for regular replenishments every three to four months.
Basque Away demonstrates community engagement through philanthropy, having donated award-winning EVOO to The Terrace Foundation in Santa Barbara in 2024 and 2025 to support seniors and disabled persons. The company also contributes ten per cent of sales during the Wine 4 Paws event to the Woods Humane Society and supports the Pet Project Foundation and various Basque cultural festivals.
