Sorry last years olive oil has sold out, which means we will be filling orders in 6 weeks time once the new season oil has settled. We have pressed 2013 olive oil but it is pungent with high astringency so needs some time to settle, level out, and balance. Just as soon as this happens (6 weeks) we'll bottle it. It will then be labelled fresh or 'olio nuevo' oil, it will taste absolutely delicious - fresh, crisp and a powerful aroma of herbs and grass.
First olives in this season were from the Olivewood grove in Esk Valley. Olivewood grove is hand picked by Julie and Zane due to the sloping hills the grove is placed on. The planting format was in the old style of thinking of placing manzanillo trees as pollinators among the rows of other olive varieties. This means Julie and Zane first have to find the Manzanillo trees (about 1 in 20) dotted around the grove before harvesting!
Check out these olives! This picture of the Manzanillo olives on the trees in the Villa grove. They are huge! Its been a fantastic growing season this year. We've had healthy trees and low rainfall - a drought in fact!
Looking to harvest in a week or so, around the 6th of May.
Interesting how the olives are green and black right next to each other.
Today I harvested the big green olive tree. We think it is a Uovo D'Piccione or UDP for short. We ended up with three of these among the Kalamata trees due to a mix up at the nursery. Its very hard to tell olive trees apart, especially when they are still seedlings resulting in nursery mix ups being a regular occurrence.
This one tree produced 14kg of fruit, which we will process and make available through the Olivery shop.
As the picture shows they are a large fruit, they have a nutty & light olive flavour.
Cabernet drizzle
and olive oil centers, with dark chocolate coat.
In what perhaps
is a world first, Vinnie Beaumont at Telegraph Hill has made a cabernet wine
and olive oil Easter egg.
This is
definitely an egg for adult taste, while sweet from the cabernet drizzle, the
olive oil gives richness and depth, with a chocolate coated finish. These delectable eggs are strictly adults
only!
The gooey centre is
made of Cabernet Drizzle and Olive Oil.
Utilising his Chef skills Vinnie has combined these two ingredients into
a gooey centre. Then covered with dark
chocolate. With each egg just a mouthful
they are a perfect for desert canapés
The eggs come in
a three pack with a dark chocolate, white chocolate drizzle and olive powder
dusting.
“You can
definitely taste the oil in the filling showing how olive oil can highlight to good flavours in food” says Vinnie.
We’ve made these
eggs as a fun reward for our customers who visit the Olivery shop. Just something a little different and fun to
eat after a day of children and chocolate!
Traditionally
olive oil is used when painting Easter eggs. Olive oil is used when creating the marbling
effect on the shell. Beautiful patterns
are created using the oil to displace the dye.
You can clearly see the graft splicing into the existing trunk and branches. It looks to be a good bond. The bond will be tested in the years ahead as the branch gains weight and volume.
This is year three for these Kalamata grafts. It has been two and a half years since they were grafted, so this year is the first fruit. While its only a small quantity on this graft it is a promising start.
Interestingly another graft tree has grown faster than this one it is three meters tall. It has no fruit this year. Our theory as to why? It has been happily putting energy into growing tree rather than fruit. Quite why it chose to do this is another theory again!
It is certainly dry, this picture shows the direct result of irrigating the olive trees. Nice green grass along the row! A bit of a pain as we now need to mow under the trees only.
We haven't cut the remainder of the lawns for a month, the only things growing are weeds and the grass along the rows.
To reduce the need for mowing Morag has planted comfrey in between some of the trees. We hope this trial planting will grow and keep the weeds down, as well as looking nice. Will bring you updates on that as it develops.
Summer rain stats are low. Just looking at January today, 25mm rain recorded, average is 70mm for January. But the real surprise for me was the last three Januarys have been 180mm, 200mm and 120mm. That's too much rain for happy olives!
Check out these olives! This picture of the Manzanillo olives on the trees in the Villa grove. They are huge! Its been a fantastic growing season this year. We've had healthy trees and low rainfall - a drought in fact! 
We’ve made these
eggs as a fun reward for our customers who visit the Olivery shop. Just something a little different and fun to
eat after a day of children and chocolate!
You can clearly see the graft splicing into the existing trunk and branches. It looks to be a good bond. The bond will be tested in the years ahead as the branch gains weight and volume.