NZ Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards

New Zealand, 12 October 2024

North Island
Groves Dominate on the 2024 New Zealand Further Virgin Olive
Oil Awards.

It’s a flip of the tide in 2024, with
the North Island’s olive oil producers bagging many of the
prime awards on the 2024 New Zealand Further Virgin Olive Oil
Awards. Congratulations to Telegraph Hill winner of Finest in
Present and Blue Earth Property winner of Finest in
Boutique.

This prestigious occasion sponsored by
HortiCentre Charitable Belief, was held in Wellington on
Saturday, October twelfth and introduced collectively growers and
business sponsors from throughout the nation to have a good time
excellence within the olive oil business by recognising prime
producers and their distinctive olive oils, this yr was no
exception.

The highest awards for the 2024 competitors are
as follows:

Finest in Present
– Telegraph Hill Premium Mix, Hawke’s
Bay
Finest Boutique – Blue Earth
Property Intense, Wairarapa
Reserve Finest in
Present – River Grove Koroneiki, Wairarapa
Reserve Finest Boutique – Leafyridge Olives
Picual, Wairarapa
Finest Flavoured Oil
– Vernazoni Agrumato, Auckland

Emma Glover,
spokesperson for Olives NZ, was delighted with the robust
curiosity on this yr’s competitors, which noticed 99 entries
regardless of the combined climate situations confronted by many producers
through the rising and harvest seasons. She congratulated
all winners on their achievements, attributing the highest
winner’s successes to dedication and laborious work by the
growers and processors, extra beneficial rising situations
and entry to irrigation shone by. She famous that the
prime awards had been shared between groves and areas this
yr.

“New Zealand has a famend repute for
producing distinctive Further Virgin Olive Oil, and this yr
is not any exception”, Glover mentioned. “Our oils are celebrated for
their strong and intense flavours, and after a number of moist
years producing milder oils, it’s nice to see that
depth returning.”

The regional breakdown of medals
is as follows: Wairarapa acquired 30 medals, Kāpiti 24,
Nelson 8, Canterbury 6, Central Otago and Auckland 4 every,
Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Loads 3 every, Marlborough 2, and
Northland and Waiheke Island every acquired 1.

Head
Choose Charlotte Connoley acknowledges that while total
scores had been barely decrease than earlier years, presumably due
to seasonal affect, there have been nonetheless some putting oils.
‘Many scoring within the excessive silver to low gold vary, an
indicator as soon as once more of the standard of New Zealand oils even
in a less-than-ideal yr for a lot of,’ she
mentioned.

Connoley praised the variety of blended oils
this yr, noting the eye given to creating harmonious
oils which showcased the fragrant traits, while
nonetheless guaranteeing a fancy and balanced expertise on the
palate. ‘’People who received it proper, had been clear golds in
the scoring throughout our panel of judges,’ She
mentioned.

Within the single varietal courses, Connoley says
‘The rising maturity of the business was evident, as
there may be higher restriction in producing high quality advanced
oils, while nonetheless being properly balanced if you end up dealing
with one selection. The very best of those oils had been nice examples
of their varieties, fruity, advanced and with traits
which continued.’

The 2024 Winners

Finest in
Present – Telegraph Hill Premium Mix

Telegraph Hill,
is a household owned enterprise primarily based in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay,
has been producing award-winning olive oil since 2001. Proprietor
Geoff Crawford blends Koroneiki oils from fruit his grove
and different native groves he manages. Their successful entry has a
fabulous depth and complexity of aroma. The notes of
olive fruit, jasmine, honeysuckle, nashi pear, marzipan on
the nostril, have an important switch to the mouth, revealing ripe
stonefruit, anise, floral notes and olive fruit. Effectively
balanced harmonious oil with nice complexity.

Finest
Boutique – Blue Earth Property Intense

Blue Earth, an
olive grove and winery in Martinborough, Wairarapa is
owned by Mike and Margaret Hanson. By mixing their
Koroneiki and Manzanillo fruit they’ve created an oil with
inexperienced bananas and tropical fruit within the nostril and wooden notes
on the finish. It has nice depth and nice switch of
flavours to the palate with well-balanced bitterness and
pungency.

Reserve Finest in Present – River Grove
Koroneiki, Wairarapa

River Grove, a business grove
in Masterton, Wairarapa, owned by Steven and Christine Value
earned this award with their Koroneiki single varietal oil,
famous for its good depth of aroma. On the nostril floral
notes of jasmine and honeysuckle, ripe banana and pineapple.
Good switch to the palate. Sturdy bitterness however balanced
with the olive fruit. Black pepper pungency. Good
persistence. Harmonious.

Reserve Finest Boutique –
Leafyridge Olives Picual

Leafyridge Olives is a
business olive grove and press in Wairarapa, owned by
Craig and Ruth Leaf-Wright. Their Koroneiki single varietal
oil is characterised by its aromas of tomato truss and fig
leaves in nostril. Nice depth and complexity within the nostril
and mouth with flavours carrying by with good depth
and with so many layers, tomato bush, tomato fruit. It has a
good stability with medium depth after which pungency
lingering to the tip.

Finest Flavoured Oil –
Vernazoni Agrumato

Vernazoni is a boutique grove in
Kumeu, Auckland. The homeowners Murray and Alwyn Thoms impressed
the judges with their Agrumato flavoured oil, showcasing a
clear lemon zest and fruit aroma and style. The oil is
current within the palate with good stability of bitterness and
pungency, the citrus aroma giving extra size to the
end.

An entire listing of the award entries and
outcomes might be discovered
https://www.olivesnz.org.nz/awards/

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