Despite a difficult harvest leading to a smaller olive harvest, SA producers have still succeeded in providing the panel of five esteemed judges with outstanding contenders for the gold, silver and bronze medals up for grabs in the 2017 SA Olive Awards. Led by international olive oil expert and sensory scientist, Sue Langstaff from California, the panel awarded a total of 19 gold (22%), 37 silver and 23 bronze medals.
Out of the 87 extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) entered in categories for delicate, medium and intense, some 90% were deserving of a medal. This compares well against similar competitions held in other countries – it means the producers have exercised a healthy measure of self-policing by entering mostly olive oils of high quality worthy of a medal. – Sue Langstaff
“The message to South African producers is that 90% of participating oils are worthy quality-wise, and local olive oil consumers can rest assured that buying medal-bearing oils from the 2017 harvest will not disappoint,” says SA Olive chairperson, Nick Wilkinson. “The competition also allows olive oil producers to ascertain what a gold medallist tastes like in terms of balance, complexity, harmony and freshness.”
And the winners are …
The gold medallists in the category for delicate EVOO: Cederberg Olives Frantoio EVOO, Mount Ceder EVOO, Rio Largo Gold EVOO and Tokara Mission Premium EVOO.
In the category for medium EVOO top honours went to Adamskloof EVOO, De Rustica Estate Medium EVOO, De Rustica Estate Collection EVOO, Green & Gold EVOO, Kleinbergskloof Olive Estate Blend EVOO, Mardouw EVOO, Olyvenbosch EVOO, Serrado EVOO and Wildekrans Keerweer EVOO.
Intense category winners: De Rustica Estate Collection Coratina EVOO, Kransfontein Coratina EVOO, Marbrin Olive Growers Directors Reserve EVOO, Mardouw Premium XXV Intense EVOO, Morgenster EVOO and Porterville Olives’ Andante Intenso EVOO.
Producers who scooped more than one gold medal, includes De Rustica Olive Estate (3) and Mardouw Olive Estate (2).
| MEDAL | PRODUCER | PRODUCT – STYLE DELICATE | STYLE |
| Gold | Cederberg Olives | Cederberg Olives Frantoio EVOO | Delicate |
| Gold | Mount Ceder | Mount Ceder EVOO | Delicate |
| Gold | Rio Largo Olive Estate | Rio Largo Gold EVOO | Delicate |
| Gold | Tokara | Tokara Mission Premium EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | De Rustica Olive Estate | De Rustica Estate Delicate EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Kransfontein Estate | Kransfontein Mission EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Marbrin Farm | Marbrin Olive Growers Delicate EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge Owner’s Reserve EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Morgenster Wine and Olive Estate | Morgenster Monte Marcello EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Oakhurst Olives | Premium Reserve EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Porterville Olives | Andante Delicate EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Willow Creek Olive Estate | Willow Creek Nuy Valley EVOO | Delicate |
| Silver | Willow Creek Olive Estate | Food Lover’s Signature EVOO | Delicate |
| Bronze | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge Delicate EVOO | Delicate |
| Bronze | Oakhurst Olives | Oakhurst Delicate EVOO | Delicate |
| Bronze | Pétra Olives | Pétra Delicate EVOO | Delicate |
| Bronze | The Greenleaf Olive Company | River Press EVOO | Delicate |
| MEDAL | PRODUCER | PRODUCT – STYLE INTENSE | STYLE |
| Gold | De Rustica Olive Estate | De Rustica Estate Collection Corantina EVOO | Intense |
| Gold | Kransfontein Estate | Kransfontein Coratina EVOO | Intense |
| Gold | Marbrin Farm | Mabrin Olive Growers Directors Reserve EVOO | Intense |
| Gold | Mardouw Olive Estate | Premium XXV Intense EVOO | Intense |
| Gold | Morgenster Wine and Olive Estate | Morgenster EVOO | Intense |
| Gold | Porterville Olives | Andante Intenso EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | De Rustica Olive Estate | De Rustica Estate Intense EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge Intense EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge Assegaay Reserve EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge 33˚ South EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Morgenster Wine and Olive Estate | Morgenster Don Carlo EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Oakhurst Olives | Oakhurst Intense EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Porterville Olives | Andante Forte EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | Rio Largo Olive Estate | Rio Largo Premium EVOO | Intense |
| Silver | The Ou Pastorie | Cape EVOO | Intense |
| Bronze | Marbrin Farm | Marbin Olive Growers Intense EVOO | Intense |
| Bronze | Tokara | Tokara Premium EVOO | Intense |
| Bronze | Willow Creek Olive Estate | Willow Creek Directors’ Reserve EVOO | Intense |
| MEDAL | PRODUCER | PRODUCT – STYLE MEDIUM | STYLE |
| Gold | Adamskloof | Adamskloof EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | De Rustica Olive Estates | De Rustica Estate Medium EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | De Rustica Olive Estates | De Rustica Estate Collection EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | Green & Gold | Green & Gold EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | Kleinbergskloof Olive Estate | Kleinbergskloof Olive Estate Blend EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | Mardouw Olive Estate | Mardouw EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | Olyvenbosch | Olyvenbosch EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | Serrado Olive Estate | Serrado EVOO | Medium |
| Gold | Wildekrans Wine Estate | Wildekrans Keerweer EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Anysbos Olywe | Anysbos EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Babylonstoren | Babylonstoren EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Chaloner | Chaloner EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Darling Olives | Darling Olives EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Gabriëlskloof | Gabriëlskloof EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Green & Gold | Green & Gold EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Kransfontein Estate | Kransfontein Estate Directors Reserve Premium Blend EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge Medium EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Mont Rouge Olive Estate | Mont Rouge Karoo Reserve EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Morgenster Wine and Olive Estate | Woolworths EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Olyfberg | Olyfberg EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Rio Largo Olive Estate | Rio Largo EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Terra Rossa – Napier | Terra Rossa – Napier EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Tokara | Tokara Mission EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Waterleliefontein | Waterleliefontein EVOO | Medium |
| Silver | Willow Creek Olive Estate | Willow Creek Prive EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Bakenshoogte | Bakenshoogte EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | De Boerin | De Boerin EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Gantouw Farm | Gantouw Farm EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Groote Vallei | Groote Vallei EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Hillcrest Estate Durbanville | Hillcrest Estate EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Kransfontein Estate | Kransfontein Frantoio EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | L’Ormarins | L’Ormarins EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | L’Ormarins | L’Ormarins Leccino EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Marbrin Farm | Mabrin Olive Growers Medium EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Namaqua Olives and Olive Oil | Namaqua EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Oudewerfskloof | Oudewerskloof Frantoio/Mission EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Porterville Olives | Andante EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | River Bend Farm | River Bend Frantoio Late Harvest EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Tokara | Tokara Frantoio Premium EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Tokara | Tokara Leccino Premium EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Tokara | Tokara Estate EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Wildekrans Wine Estate | Wildekrans Endless EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Willow Creek Olive Estate | Willow Creek Estate Blend EVOO | Medium |
| Bronze | Willow Creek Olive Estate | Banting Revolution EVOO | Medium |
Judging – behind the scenes
This year, for the first time, only professionals who had not entered an oil themselves, formed part of the adjudication team. The panel consisted of Reni Hildenbrand, Benedetta Lami and Linda Costa, local olive oil experts who regularly serve on international judging panels, and SA Olive tasting members, Birgitta Hofmeyr and Hazel Henman. International panel leader Sue Langstaff is also the leader of the UC Davis Olive Oil Taste Panel and co-editor of the book Olive Oil Sensory Science and creator of The Defects Wheel for Olive Oil.
Over a three-day judging process, olive oils were individually blind tasted and rated.
We do not have access to the bottles to eliminate the chance of recognising the labelling or specific shape of a bottle. SA Olive has executed yet another adjudication process according to the strict regulations of the International Olive Council (Madrid). – Reni Hildenbrand
Some of the international directives also include that the judging venue must be kept at a steady 28°C for optimum olive oil consistency, while blue-hued specially shaped tasting glasses ensure that the oil is not judged by its colour and that the maximum concentration of aromas are captured during the tasting. Entries must also be 100% South African and made by SA producers registered with SA Olive.
Absa Top 10: Consumers can look forward to the announcement of the crème de la crème when the Absa Top 10 Extra Virgin Olive Oils are announced on 27 September.
SA Olive would like to thank Mori-Tem Oliomio and Pieralisi for their contribution in furthering the local olive oil industry through their sponsorship of the SA Olive Awards.
For more information visit www.saolive.co.za or contact Karien Bezuidenhout at 021 870 2900 or karien@hortgro.co.za.
- Absa Top 10 Results - October 2, 2017
- SA Olive Awards 2017 Results - August 31, 2017
- Absa Top 5 Olive Oils Announced - September 28, 2016