At first, the small number of organic coffee farms around the world limited the product line to only 4 coffees. Over the years, we partnered with more and more farmers as they worked toward certification, and our offerings have expanded ever since.
Today, Taylor Maid Farms is a dynamic company that remains young at heart. Our small team of coffee enthusiasts is obsessed not only with crafting the perfect coffee, but with building community and integrating sustainability into everything we do.
COFFEE
Coffee is a gift to us from millions of farming families around the world... and we must treat it as such, never forgetting the love, care and painstaking labor that goes into cultivating our favorite crop. Like wine grapes in Sonoma County, organic coffee gets much of its flavor from the growing conditions and processing methods of each region.
TEA
Starting in 1996 with herbs from Chris and Terri's farm in Occidental, we developed a solid reputation for our unique take on classic teas. Be it our famous Pacific Coast Breakfast or Vital Green, we understand that tea should not only taste great, but be great for your body, mind and spirit.
Since the beginning, our desire was to focus on local, sustainably grown ingredients. There was a quality and care in our tea at its inception that is evident in the line today.
In 2011 we became dissatisfied with the direction of our tea line and wanted to get it back to the roots of what it was always about. It was time to look for a better solution and a partner we felt good with. A partner that would put the tea back in line with what it was when it first started.
In choosing a tea company, we searched for local importers who are as obsessed with artisan tea as we are with artisan coffee. The focus on getting one company to consistently deliver sustainable, organic and quality tea took quite a while. In time, we found what we were looking for in Silk Road Teas. Based in San Rafael, CA, owners Catherine and Ned travel extensively in tea-rich Southeastern China to source rare specialty leaves that delight any palate. Since 1992 they have been procuring single-source, handmade specialty teas from China. Ned and Catherine have built longstanding supplier relationships and have access to some of China's finest and most unusual teas. They partner with small farms, out-of-the-way markets and specialty tea companies to find teas that offer a distinctive taste experience. Ned and Catherine buy many of their teas in early spring when the leaves are fresh, tender and their tastes most pronounced.
The passion our companies share in providing exceptional organic drinks will be obvious when you taste our teas. While some of our teas deliver the exact ingredient list as before, we did take this opportunity to fine tune and elevate most of the line. Take a look at our entire line here.
TAYLORMAIDFARMS.COM
PATRICK MATA – CO-FOUNDER, OLÉ IMPORTS
“When Olé Imports began in 1999, there were only three wines in their portfolio, and one of the two founders, Patrick Mata (the other founder being Alberto Orte), was not even old enough to consume alcohol! A great success story, this tiny boutique company searches out, as they put it, “unique terroir-driven wines of extraordinary value.” Often such sayings are hyperbole, but not in the case of Olé Imports.
Aside from the wine quality, one of the most admirable aspects of Olé Imports is their attitude concerning social responsibility. Readers are encouraged to check their web site, www.oleimports.com, to see the number of charities with which they are heavily involved, including some of my favorites such as the Wounded Warrior Project.
These wines are among my favorites from this motivated company. While none of their wines are household names, readers should seek them out as they represent sensational values from viticultural regions throughout Spain.”
—Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
"There are a couple of importers whose wines are so trustworthy that I will buy them regardless of what’s in the bottle. Kermit Lynch, of course, for French wine, and Ole Imports [Patrick Mata & Alberto Orte] for Spanish wine. Mata’s and Orte’s passion for Spanish wine is famous, their palates are exceptional. Which is why I trust Ole implicitly."
—Jeff Siegel, The Advocate Magazines
WWW.OLEIMPORTS.COM