Over the past 20 years, EVOC’s co-owner, Andy Hampsten, lived on a small farm in the coastal hills of southwest Tuscany, in the Maremma. Cognoscenti know the Maremma as one of the least polluted, least populated, most rustic areas in Italy.
Andy, a former professional cyclist and winner of the three-week Giro d’Italia race, spent his days cultivating sangiovese grapes, taking long bike rides in the rolling hills, and growing olives from which to make his own extra virgin olive oil. His obsession with delicious, healthful oil continues to this day.
This little company is the fruit of this fixation and the result of another passionate collaboration in Andy’s life, his partnership with Elaine Lauterbach. Elaine studies physiology and nutrition as the University of Colorado, Boulder, and runs the business with him. She’s not only the nuts-and-bolts manager of the importing, but she’s also a skilled chef and constantly finding new ways to enjoy EVOC oil. Check out some of her creations in the Recipes section of the site!
Elaine and Andy travel together in Italy and the Maremma each year to work, live, eat and cycle. Recognizing they couldn’t possibly carry home enough oil to satisfy their appetites, they searched throughout Tuscany for oil worthy to import…and EVOC was born.
