The UC Davis Olive Center will begin selling this year’s Centennial Blend of extra virgin olive oil Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the campus bookstore in the Memorial Union. On that day, the oil will be sold for the special price of $10 per bottle, rather than the normal $12, and free olive oil tastings will be offered from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the entrance to the bookstore.

The oil also can be purchased online beginning Thursday, Oct. 15, at $12 per bottle from the UC Davis bookstore at http://bookstore.ucdavis.edu.

This is the second year that the award-winning olive oil program at UC Davis’ Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science has offered the Centennial Blend, commemorating the 100-year partnership between UC Davis and California’s olive growers and processors. This premium olive oil combines Spanish, Greek and Italian varietals from UC Davis trees and from olive producers in Butte, Glenn, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama and Yolo counties.

“This is a well-balanced blend that contains a bouquet of green apple with aromatic grassy flavors and a hint of banana and ripe olives,” said Dan Flynn, executive director of the olive center.

Proceeds from sales of the UC Davis Centennial Blend will benefit the UC Davis Olive Center, supporting future research and education. More information about the olive center is available at http://www.olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/.

About UC Davis

For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.