What makes olive oil stand out? What is it about olive oil that makes one superior to another? Some people argue it’s the fertile soil and the growing conditions that make fine olive oils. Others say it’s the pressing.
The truth is that more than one thing alone makes top quality olive oil. And it is more than one thing alone that marks the difference between good and great too.
When it comes to exceptional olive oil, it’s about everything: the soil, the environmental factors, the harvesting, the pressing, and the bottling. The bottling isn’t something that many people think about, but this is actually a very important factor since the bottle protects and preserves the integrity of the product.
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You may think true olive oil comes only from Europe. Countries like Spain and Italy may come to mind. But mind you, Australia’s got a few tricks up its sleeve in the olive oil industry.
Did you know there is an olive oil association in Australia that tests, grades and regulates olive oils produced nationwide so that consumers can be sure of the quality they purchase?
If you see the Australian Olive Oil Association (AOOA) seal on a bottle, know then that you are buying top quality olive oil, meaning an authentic product: 100% extra virgin olive oil.
And here are just three olive oil ambassadors that have taken the Australian name through the worldwide industry, establishing a reputation and possibly a legacy.
Cape Schanck Olive Estate
A Mediterranean climate is a good starting point for an olive grove. In the southern Mornington Peninsula, where the waters of the ocean meet the waters of Port Philip Bay spreads the Cape Schanck Olive Estate, nowadays a sustainable farm, but years ago an abandoned flower nursery.
Five varieties of olives and two thousand olive saplings today provide an awarded extra virgin olive oil. Hand harvesting the olives and pressing the fruits within hours from the moment of harvest add to the complexity of the final product, not to mention speak for themselves about passion and dedication.
Gooramadda Olives
Planted in 1998, the grove at Gooramadda Olives numbers approximately 1000 trees today. The different varieties make both awarded table olives and extra virgin olive oils. To testify to the quality and the integrity of the products, the farm submits all of its oils for certification as extra virgins.
And good news to anyone who enjoys sampling olive oils the same way wine lovers enjoy sampling wines, Gooramadda Olives is open for tastings every Saturday and Sunday. If you’re coming from afar and need accommodation, the farm can provide lodging so long as you call ahead.
ALTO Olives
„It’s more than a purpose for my life. It’s very rewarding,” says Robert Armstrong who established the Alto Olives grove. Since 2003, Robert’s farm has been producing awarded extra virgin olive oils and natural table olives.
The farm also produces two kinds of vinegar and offers products in bigger pack formats for foodservice companies and hospitality industries.
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Alto Olives is set on the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, one of the most mountainous regions in Australia with just the right climate and the good conditions for 20,000 olive trees to bloom every season.