007: Seattleite You Should Know - Adam Stern and Full Olive

007: Have you ever sat in an aisle at a grocery store and marveled at the amount of work that goes into each one of those products and how they got there? No? Yeah, me neither… Ok not really. I’ve thought about it many times. I’m not even talking about the physical stocking of those shelves. Each one of the products was tested over and over again. Packaged and rebranded multiple times. Put through intense scrutiny by the creators, governments, suppliers, buyers and more. I find myself thinking about it all the time now. There are SO MANY STORIES.

Today is one of those stories.

Adam sent me a cold email back in October, and it took me months to actually meet up with him. But I’m glad I did. I was intrigued from the start. In the email he said he was importing olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Argentina to Seattle. My curiosity couldn’t resist. How does someone start that kind of business? That couldn’t be random.

I hung out with Adam for a few hours in his warehouse space inside Saltbox in SODO. Adam set up a table full of olive oils, olives, balsamic vinegar, spices, bread, and wine glasses. There are people that are great in these environments. It’s clear this isn’t Adam’s first tasting. The guy is electric for this stuff. This is what I learned about him in that tasting.

— Conner Cayson

Adam Stern
^{Founder & Importer, Full Olive}

You don’t just start importing things from Argentina. It’s too complicated. And olive oil? Isn’t that an Italian thing? Why Argentina? And how do you turn that into a business? These are all the thoughts I’m having when I arrived at Saltbox. Saltbox is Warehousing and Logistics space for rent in SODO. It houses dozens of tiny businesses like Adams. Just like the grocery store, this place is full of interesting stories.

What is Full Olive?

Full Olive is an homage to Adam’s love for Argentina. They specialize in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and balsamic vinegar. They import some of the best directly from Argentina to the states through Seattle. They also have ambition to expand into other gourmet South American foods. If you check their website, you’ll also find seasonings, olives, spreads, gift boxes, salami, and mustard.

How Did You End Up in Argentina?

Adam grew up in Winthrop, Washington. He had a passion for skiing. After graduating from college, he worked for the famous ski filmmaker, Warren Miller. He had been told many times about the skiing in Argentina. Along with others, Warren Miller told Adam that he needed to visit the Argentine ski resort in the western part of Mendoza, Las Leñas.

So he loaded up a backpack, booked a flight to Bolivia, and spent weeks exploring. The trip took him through Chile, and ended in Mendoza, Argentina. His dad met him for there, to end the trip with those much anticipated ski runs. On the bottom of the mountain, on the last run, he turned to his dad and said “I’m moving here.”

Starting Businesses in Argentina

It took him about 8 months to come back, but he made it. His first job was an off piste ski guide at Las Leñas. But that was seasonal, and in order to stay year round, he needed something more. He was quickly hired as an English wine tour guide. “I didn’t know a lot about wine, but I liked it, and love learning.”

That’s where he met his now wife, Myfanwy.

In 2011, they started their own business called Mendoza Wine Camp. It was an educational wine tour company that took visitors behind the scenes at wineries for barrel tastings, or food and wine pairings and classes. Over the years, this is how Adam met many of the producers across Mendoza.

From Wine to Olives

While sitting on these wineries each week, Adam noticed that each one had their own olive oil. Between rows of grape vines, were these 100 year old olive trees. They started offering olive oil tastings in their tour packages. He saw deep connections and similarities of olives to grapes. Specifically, how the land and climate (terroir) significantly impacts the flavor.

Importing to Washington

Adam and Myfanwy sold Mendoza Wine Camp in 2019 and moved back to Washington with their two children. Almost immediately, Adam knew he needed a connection back to Argentina and South America.

He started making calls to the producers he knew in Mendoza. He learned that that olive oil producer near his home, Olivicola LAUR wasn’t shipping their product to the US. If he was going to get it for himself, he might as well get more for others.

Learning Curve

It took Adam a few years to really get an understanding of his import business. First, he has to make annual trips back to Mendoza. He needs to keep up with relationships and product changes. But there was also a learning curve for things like Freight Forwarding (I had to google it), Customs, Laws (in both countries), Packaging, Sales, and everything else it takes to start a business. With many lessons learned, he has slowly crafted a processes for himself. He can take these learnings, and apply them to new products.

This work has been paying off. Now he is importing products from THE BEST olive oil producer in the world.

Olivicola LAUR

There is something called the “Extra Virgin Olive Oil World Rankings” (EVOOWR). They are #1. For the past 3 years. The oil they produce is pretty damn good. I tried two types: Gran Mendoza EVOO (100% Arauco) and the Cruz de Piedra EVOO - Organic Blend.

I’m not a food reviewer so I recommend you try it for yourself.

Other Items Worth Looking Into

Beyond the olive oils, Full Olive imports other complimentary products like Arauco Olives (Unpitted, Pitted, and Stuffed), Millan Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Grilling Salt, Empanada Seasoning, Tapenade, Basil Spread, Mustard Honey, and Gaucho Salmi (collaboration with Seattle’s Salt Blade).

If you find Full Olive at an event or market in Seattle, they’ll likely offer a tasting of the olive oil with the aged balsamic. Don’t pass on that. You won’t be disappointed.

Where To Find Full Olive

If you want to try before you buy, Full Olive is very active at the big market events around Seattle like Urban Craft Uprising or Seattle’s Christmas Market. The most reliable place to find their tent will be the Sunday Fremont Market.

Of course, you can search for all of these products on their website. Last year they launched gift boxes that range from $49 - $149 that have an assortment of items. They ship nationwide.