Martinborough's Lot Eight Olives have taken out the best in class for their medium Koroneiki Blend olive oil at the Olives New Zealand 2007 National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards.
"It feels pretty good to win, it's been 10 years of hard work," Lot Eight oilmaker Nalini Baruch said.
For the past
seven years Mrs Baruch, who is also a Martinborough barrister, and her husband Colin have been producing olive oil from the grove they planted 10 years ago.
"It's a huge boost for olive oils out of Wairarapa. It just shows what we can do," she said.
This is the third year in a row Lot Eight have featured in the gold medal section of the competition but the first time they have taken out best in class.
"The win is a demonstration of Lot Eight's strength of commitment to the production of uncompromising, high-quality extra virgin olive oils," Mrs Baruch said.
Wairarapa olive oil producers Ruakokoputuna, Loopline, River Grove and Kilrae Olives also picked up honours in the gold medal class.
Wairarapa groves were well represented in the silver medal class, receiving 12 of 44 awards at the ceremony held in Wellington on Saturday night.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were given in four oil categories delicate, medium, intense and single varietal.
"We highly value the work of the panel," Mrs Baruch said of the awards' two accredited evaluators.
International olive oil judges Robert Zecca and Margaret Edwards blind-tested the record 104 entries, awarding 46 per cent of them gold medals, an exceptional ratio by international standards, Mr Zecca said.
"This is now the most prestigious competition for olive oil in New Zealand and right up with the best in the world.
"The entries reflect the outstanding quality of extra virgin olive oils produced in this country on the whole very well balanced, with complex fruity aromas and flavours," he said.
