The New Zealand Olive association's national conference was held in Christchurch 24-26 August this year. The three day event covered workshops, panel discussion, guest speakers from niche marketing to facts about fats, along with tasting, cooking demonstrations and a venue for growers and producers to meet with key sponsors and experts in their field.
The conference also hosted the inaugural competition for extra virgin olive oil. A first attempt to classify the oils of a newly emerging industry, vital for producers as they begin to assess the organoleptic qualities of their varieties and launch further into export markets as volumes gradually increase.
All entries had to meet the standards for extra virgin olive oil. A minimum of 100 litres of commercially available oil was required to enter the competition.
Awards were won by Martinborough and Canterbury growers. But most of the medals were awarded to the Nelson & Marlborough region, confirming their reputation for producing top quality extra virgin oils, with the long sunshine hours a secret ingredient.
Nelson growers won seven of the eighteen medals. With Bronze awarded to Tasman Bay Olives for their Leccino and Frantoio varietals, Frogs End for its Frantoio varietal and Moutere Grove's 2001 blend. Only three months ago Moutere Grove won the supreme award at the Australasian Olive business Awards for its year 2000 oil (beating 2001 entries- and unlike wine olive oil does not improve with age).
Silver medals were won by Supplejack Estate for its Barnea oil, Tasman Bay Olives for its Frantoio/ Leccino blend and Clay Ridge Estate for their Leccino/Barnea blend.
Marlborough olive oils also won seven medals. Bronze awarded to Serendipity Olive Co Ltd's Barnea varietal and Tussock for its Minerva/Frantoio blend.
Silver medals were awarded to Tussock for their Minerva varietal, The Good Oil Olive Co's 2001 blend, Marlborough Olives Blumenfelds blend and Serendipity for its Picual/Frantoio/GB01 blend. On the marketing side Serendipity estate bottles were also judged to be best presented of the oils.
The supreme gold award went to Libby Fulton and Ken Prain of Creekside Olives with their Koroneiki/Barnea blend. Comments from the New Zealand and Australian judges on their oil included "Aromatic complex fruity qualities at several levels…led into a superbly interesting even thrilling palate sensation with beautifully balanced pungency and finish," "a lifting aroma of green apple and quince characters"
Obviously delighted with their award Libby believes that they were lucky to have picked at the right time to beat the frosts. Their winning blend was comprised of 80% Koroneiki and 20 % Barnea. Using nets and hand picking she light heartedly likened the picking of the Koroneiki variety to dairying "they are such a small olive you can pull the branches gently and they just come off- milking them, like a cow."
