The 2023 South African Olive Awards took place at the picturesque Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl on Friday 8 September, with many Helderberg estate extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) awarded the best of the best and flying the basin’s flag.
Altogether 82 EVOOs from 32 producers were entered and thoroughly judged by a panel of local and international judges. Winners were selected in the Delicate, Medium and Intense style categories and bagged gold, silver or bronze.The award winners from the Helderberg are:Morgenster Estate with four medalsThe Somerset West estate, which is located in Vergelegen Avenue, off Lourensford Road, offers a unique range of world-class quality unrefined olive oils, clinched gold for both its medium-style Don Carlo EVOO (which boasts a bold and spicy character) and Morgenster EVOO (vibrant and versatile). The estate also bagged bronze for its medium-style Woolworths EVOO, a blend of several Italian olive cultivars renowned for its versatile taste profile, and delicate-style Morgenster EVOO, which is boutique blend with a velvety texture and soft fruity flavour.
Morgenster is proud of its award-winning offerings made in the purest way possible, with zero additives. The estate’s founder, Giulio Bertrand, is considered the country’s “Father of Olive Oil” as he paved the way for the local olive-oil industry as it is known today. In 1994 he imported 17 superior Italian olive varieties, started a wonderful partnership with the Olive Oil Institute in Perugia and planted 42 ha of olive trees on our rocky soils. The estate’s first extra virgin olive oils were released onto the market in 1998.Oudewerfskloof Olive Farm with five medalsThe olive farm located near Stilbaai, where the Brummer family nurture 15 000 trees to produce award-winning olive products, bagged gold for its intense-style Picual EVOO and silver for both its medium-style Frantoio and Olifantsbos EVOOs and both its intense-style Favolosa and Ouwerfskloof EVOOs.Rockhaven FarmThe estate situated in Highlands Road, Elgin claimed gold for its medium-style Rockhaven Farm EVOO.
Richard Allen, chairman of the SA Olive Industry, said: “Once again, we congratulate all our winners. This year has been particularly challenging for our producers due to a poor harvest that saw considerably lower yields and, by the way, this was experienced by all olive growing countries around the world this year. Added to this, there were other daily challenges, such as load shedding, so it’s even more commendable that our local extra virgin olive-oil producers continue to deliver such amazing quality, of the kind that earns them the highest international accolades, here and around the world. Despite the challenges, we received a total of 82 entries from 32 producers. SA Olive is both proud and delighted to represent our South African producers and to showcase their top-quality, locally produced EVOOs. We would also like to give our heartfelt thanks to all participants, judges, organisers and, of course, our two sponsors, Mori-Tem and Pieralisi.”
