Olive Black was delighted to accept the award of Best in Show for its Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the 2020 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards, and believes its recognition also confirms the rise of Wairarapa as a success story for olive oil production in New Zealand.
Olive Black was chosen from a field of nearly 200 entries from the most prestigious New Zealand olive oil producers and is also one of four growers winning the competition’s five major awards, whose olives are grown in Wairarapa. Grower Mark Bunny says although a lot of hard work goes into growing the olives and producing the oil, Wairarapa’s soil type and climate are also major factors. He says in a two week period recently Olive Black’s 1,000 tree olive grove on the outskirts of Masterton experienced a maximum temperature of 32.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 4.2 degrees, which he believes is one of the contributing factors to the fruity flavour of olive oil produced in the Wairarapa region.
Mark Bunny says the success of Olive Black and other growers in the Wairarapa region at this year’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards, shows that Wairarapa has become the olive capital of New Zealand.
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