the good oils

Annually, led by chairman of judges Dr Richard Gawel a good percentage of South Australian olive oil producers submit their oils for judging. This is not to be confused with scientific assessment done by some Australian universities in particular Charles Sturt University. Gawel, a scientist turned consultant, has had a long association with the wine and olive oil industry and is so esteemed for his knowledge and organoleptic abilities that he is chairman of judges for most of the Australian and also New Zealand judging circuits. A worrying aspect is that there is no heir apparent, a factor that Gawel and South Australian olive oil producers should be seriously considering.
Dr Luciano di Giovacchino, from the International Olive Oil Commission, trained the original group of Australian judges in 1997. The Italian based commission took on the role of training judges throughout the world, wisely understanding that to keep the quality (and price) of EV olive oils high there needed to be consistency across the global judging system. In the current judging system Gawel’s initial role is to ensure that the oils are fit to be judged, but this does not mean that there aren’t some very ordinary oils in every class. There are plenty of ordinary oils and that is part of the judging process to ensure that it is the good oils that are the medal winners.
Olive oil has become big business in Australia and the quality of the high–end extra virgins is globally respected. Unsurprisingly judges are a mix of winemakers, olive oil producers and processors and interested persons like skeptic Brian Miller and myself. From the original trainees a few remain in the group; people like Dr. Richard Gawel, Mark Lloyd, Coriole Wines and EV Olive oil, Bob Barrett, University of Adelaide.
A good mix of ages the next generation is well represented with relatively young judges like Sam Temme, group sales manager for the Galvanised Wine Group, Tash Girdler, general manager of Tatiara Olive Oil Processing Plant at Keith and her colleague, night manager Louise McLoughlan. Temme has the luck to get to taste the menu and help match the wines at Penny’s Hill Kitchen Door Restaurant (one of my favourites), but has made olive oil and spent time in Spain learning about oil and processing olives. Tash and Louise are at the forefront of science based olive oil production running the state of the art Tatiara Olive Oil Processing plant in Keith. They are blessed with a very cold climate at the time of processing, but their clients rely totally on their ability to access the perfect time for picking, by bringing samples to their plant where they are assessed by their state of the art infrared analyzer. It remains astonishing to me that there are not more chefs wanting to learn and become part of the judging process and that I have been the only chef to last the years since the first training and frequently the only chef to be part of the judging process. It makes sense if for no other reason than it keeps them in touch with the best oils and gives them direct links to producers. But……where is the passion of the new generation of chefs?
Since 1997 the science involved in olive oil production has gone ahead in leaps and bounds, yet whilst this science and more well–run regional processing plants has bought vast improvements to the overall quality of olive oil, science and modernity is still tamed and taunted, like wine, by nature and the seasons, factors that are the final determinators of the season’s offering.
So what must judges look for when they taste olive oil; freshness and flavours that are harmonious and good fruit driven aroma. Beautiful new season oils do not coat the mouth with a thick buttery slick that takes forever to dissolve. Nor should they be so bitter that ten minutes later one is still gulping water and eating apple in the vain hope that the nasty finishing palate will vanish. A good, oil is light, fresh and fruity. It should have some bitterness but all of the flavours should combine in a pleasing and delicious union. An extra virgin olive oil should never taste of nuts, particularly walnuts a sure sign of rancidity and nor should it have a winey or mouldy smell, both of which are considered faults.
Olive oil is tasted in small glasses or cups slightly larger than a shot glass. They are frequently cupped in the hands as part of the process of warming the oil and encouraging it to release and intensify its aromas. Easy to understand for any cook who adds their favourite extra virgin to a hot pan and is immediately intoxicated by the perfumed aroma of the oil that has remained cloistered in its dark green bottle. Once the aroma has been assessed then it is on to the taste, looking for faults and assessing the finish. The oil is put onto the back palate, air sucked in, in big gulps, the oil swished, almost gargled in the mouth and then spat into a spittoon. It can take several minutes for a judge to come to their decision waiting for the end palate to subside to completely assess the oil. Between oils, the judges eat small slices of raw apple to refresh their palate and there is spring water to drink. Judges work independently, then their scores are collated. In instances where there is real disparity between scores the oils might be tasted for a second time or Dr Gawel may be called upon to make the final call. Huge disparity in scores is rare and it is reassuring when panels are within two points of each other. Once the individual classes have been judged the best oils from each class are then submitted to the entire panel and best of show chosen. Over the years of judging the class has often been surprising, but as the knowledge base of producers has increased the chance of finding best of show in the bulk class has vastly lessened. Understandably best of show cannot come from micro producers who basically don’t have oil to sell, but because they have frequently been among the top oils there is a best of show in that category.
The winners this year are……well you’ll just have to wait until October 30, when the embargo is lifted.

images from the top — Dr Richard Gawel, oils lines up for judging, Tash Girdler and bottom a serious feral harvester we found Emanuel and his matesharvesting olives between Tanunda and Clare their annual boy’s week away that provides great EV olive oil for all their families.

links
olives South Australia for a full explanation of the South Australian judging system
www.internationaloliveoil.org to understand thei influence of the International Olive Oil Commission
Dr Richard Gawel is on twitter and doesn’t ’hold back’ http://twitter.com/oliveoilguy
Charles Sturt University for a scientific approach to olive oil production.