We have owned the grove since 2011. We are learning so much and just love our extra virgin olive oil. We feel privileged to look after this little bit of paradise, our 1,200 olive trees and our slopes of native bush.
The unique climate of the Peninsula gifts us with wonderfully tasty oils. We pick and process by variety which yield us a range of flavours to suit different palates and purposes.
Our frantoia and manzanilla are particularly popular with chefs who value the milder flavour. While flavours vary from year to year, both these oils tend to be very fruity with herbaceous overtones.
Our Kalamata oil is unique, in that very few groves in New Zealand grow the variety in sufficient quantities to produce it as a separate oil. It tends to be of medium intensity and has its own strong following.
Picholine is our other main variety and tends to be our most intense. It usually has a high polyphenol content so it is favoured by those seeking the greatest health benefits from their oil.
Harvest season is June to July so our stock of oil tends to be low towards this time. The new season oils are generally more intense. This becomes less with storage.
Pruning is essential to get the best out of the olive trees just as with any other fruit tree.
Getting our own processor in 2020 has been wonderful to use.