GRASSY Spur Olives of Stony Creek took out the Best in Show award for Boutique Volume Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) at the annual Australian International Olive Awards held recently in Bendigo.
The Frantoio EVOO was also awarded the Best of Victoria, and Champion Italian Varietal olive oil.
Grassy Spur Olives Picual EVOO was named the Champion Spanish Varietal.
After a bumper harvest this year, recognition of the boutique South Gippsland olive grove’s high-quality products was a testament to the commitment and passion of owners Helen and Peter Wright.
“It is nice to get recognised for good quality,” Peter said, adding it helps sales.
The business gets orders from all over Australia.
Approximately 80 per cent of this year’s harvest is Frantoio, with Helen describing the award-winning oil as “peppery and full of flavour”.
The judges’ tasting notes provided a detailed description.
“A light mouthfeel, with lovely freshness, balanced bitterness and a warm spicy white pepper hit” are among the characteristics they noted, observing the explosion of flavours linger on the palate.
Less than 5000 litres of the oil was produced, making it eligible for the Boutique Volume category.
Spanish Varietal Picual won Grassy Spur Olives ‘Best in Show’ in 2013 and continues to earn recognition.
“It’s a consistent gold medal winner and a beautiful oil,” Helen said.
While a more mellow oil than Frantoio, this year’s judges were impressed with what they tasted in choosing Grassy Spur Olives Picual as Champion Spanish Varietal.
They described it as “complex with obvious flavour”, also finding “herbal notes” and a “creamy mouthfeel with appreciated bitterness and the presence of dry fruit aromas”.
At Grassy Spur Olives, Picual is used as the pollinator throughout the grove, with pollination driven by wind and bees.
Peter explained that in wet conditions wind pollination is not effective, prompting the decision to have bee hives in the groves, which adds an extra string to the business’ bow, ‘Grassy Spur Pure Honey’ being unblended and not heat treated.
Grassy Spur Olives, sitting in a hilltop location overlooking Stony Creek Racecourse, consists of four groves, on 26 acres, and a total of 1524 olive trees, with the initial plantings taking place in 2005.
Helen and Peter bought the land, which had been used as a dairy farmer’s turnout paddock, in 2004, having no knowledge of olives at the time but doing extensive research and gaining vast experience since.
While they expanded by buying a small farm next door, there is no intention to get any larger.
Helen and Peter’s oils are mostly single varieties, with one premium blend.
Peter processes all the oil during the olive harvest which usually runs for around six weeks.
He also processes olive oil for others with groves in the area, including Devon Siding Olives north of Yarram, which joined Grassy Spur Olives among this year’s Platinum Award winners.
During processing, olives are cleaned, crushed and rotated to extract the oil that is then stored and allowed to settle.
Nothing left over in the production process goes to waste with olive leaves scattered in the groves and the paste produced during oil extraction also eventually returned to the groves once its acidity has broken down.
Grassy Spur Olive Oil is available through South Gippsland and Bass Coast Shire food retailers listed on the business’ website.
You can also purchase online through the website or visit by appointment and look around, with a tasting room to sample the products, and onsite sales.
Please call Peter or Helen if wanting to visit Grassy Spur Olives.