California Wine Country Is Not Just About The Wine…There’s Incredible Natural Skin Care Too!
We had no idea what to expect when we visited McEvoy Ranch on a recent exploration trip here in California’s wine country. We were so pleasantly surprised to find this beautiful slice of heaven just a little over an hour away from St. Helena, where we are based for the month.

McEvoy Ranch offers several delicious wines and sources their grapes from various areas to create a varied portfolio of wines. The Rosebud Rose was a nice start to our tasting followed by a 2016 Viognier, a Pinot Noir, a Syrah and a Tuscan style estate wine. Trust me, these were all delicious.
As promised in my previous post, I wanted to expand on our visit to the ranch. Not only is the setting gorgeous, but the family story is enchanting. You know when someone asks you whom you would love to dine with and you think of that one fascinating person? Well, I think that Nan Tucker McEvoy could be that person. Although not with us any longer, she was one interesting woman and a real trailblazer.
Nan pioneered the Peace Corps and was an early women’s rights activist. In 1990, upon “retirement” at age 72, Nan purchased a 550-acre ranch and proceeded to give birth to California’s olive oil production. She wanted to have this special place for her grandchildren and the requirement was that the property must have an agricultural purpose. Nan fell in love with the Tuscan style oil when traveling in Italy and hired an expert named Maurizio Castelli to help her to create this beautiful, and delicious oil. The first step was to bring tree seedlings from Italy to replicate the Tuscan oil. The rest is history!
Nan and Maurizio have created a Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is recognized as one of the finest in the world. You go Nan! We purchased the lemon olive oil and it is a great addition to vegetables, fish, chicken and more.
So, here is the fun part. This extraordinary oil is organically grown and added to many of the beauty products that are available either in the store at the ranch or online. Botanicals that are sourced from the farm are combined with the olive oil to create the ODE Body & Skincare line.

I have been making an effort to use more natural products after attending a seminar with Fran Drescher (yes, of the television show, The Nanny). Fran is a cancer survivor and has a foundation called “Cancer Schmancer”. Her philosophy is to use natural products, eat healthfully (mostly organic) as a preventative measure to prevent cancer cells from forming. She has partnered with specialists to create a program that is informative and useful in creating a healthier lifestyle. If you get a chance to attend any of her seminars, you should go. Not only is she well-informed, but she has a great personality and is so caring.
Cancer Schmancer’s mission is to shift the nation’s focus from just searching for a cure to prevention and early detection of cancer in order to save lives. The Cancer Schmancer Movement philosophy really makes sense to me and I am trying to change out some of my cleaning supplies and anything that I put on my skin to organic and natural products. Check out their website and get their informative emails, it really is amazing what a few changes can do to make you healthier.
https://www.cancerschmancer.org
At McEvoy Ranch, the beauty products and botanical scents are heavenly! My favorite was the Bohemian Rose, and they also have Citrus Oro, Verde, and Lavender. All are delicious!
All of their natural products are 100% paraben, phthalate and sulfate-free and add incredible hydration and nutrients for the skin.