www.countrylife.co.za096

Its an etiquette Im fairly familiar with. I put my hand over the top of the glass to intensify the aromas then swirl around the contents. The golden liquid has a good nose. I take a sip and swill it around my mouth, following the instructions of Sue du Toit, our host at the beautiful Lemoendrif farm outside Tulbagh in the Cape Winelands.

But this is not a wine tasting. Oh no. Today its extra virgin olive oil (known as EVOO), the Champagne of olive oils. These South African oils rank among the best in the world yet my guide, Glynis van Rooyen, who compiled The Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil in South Africa, informs me that until recently few locals knew of what treasure we hold.

Its astounding how little the consumer knows about extra virgin olive oil, Glynis says, as we work our way through four of these oils produced at Oakhurst Olives, the first port of call on our bespoke tour of

some of Tulbaghs most interesting extra virgin olive oil estates. I discovered the oil at some of the wine farms I visited in the course of compiling wine guides with my colleague, Hanlie Allan, and realised that this delicious, aromatic liquid can turn an ordinary dish into something spectacular, plus it has all sorts of health and nutritional benefits. What a treat. Usually everything that is delicious is bad for you.

Glynis explains how she initially wanted to include extra virgin olive oil producers in their wine guides. But soon I recognised that the oil has a character, an environment, a passion and a culture all of its own. Then the real research began.

Sue and Pieter du Toit embody that culture. Previously I worked in the property industry, explains Pieter. We lived in Hout Bay but wanted a change in lifestyle so decided to buy a farm. All I knew was that I wanted to grow something to put in a bottle and that it wasnt going

Tulbagh Valley Strikes Oil

the extra virgin olive varietyWords Fiona Mcintosh Pictures Fiona Mcintosh, MattheW holt, Glynis van rooyen & suPPlied

that could be brought in with rootstock. We grow ten varieties of olives for extra

virgin oil that are pressed separately, then blended, Sue explains as she passes around the Oakhurst Delicate, which was judged the best delicate extra virgin olive oil in the world at the New York International Olive Oil Competition 2014, a prestigious event featuring 741 entries from 25 countries.

Were determined to educate the South African public about locally produced extra virgin olive oils. So weve developed a tasting bar and an island kitchen where we invite chefs and cooking schools to give cooking demonstrations, create recipes and educate aspiring chefs on what they should be looking for in these oils.

Pieter elaborates as he opens a bottle of imported oil. Smell this. Its lamp oil, he says in disgust. In Europe, the olive oil market is strictly regulated and pomace [the skin, pips and solid waste] oil cannot be sold for human consumption, but the South African market is flooded with cheap, inferior-quality extra virgin oils from Spain, Portugal and Italy, many with pomace oil mixed in to them. These inferior oils have no health benefits. Here the SA Olive Industry Association strictly regulates the local industry. Extra virgin olive oil producers commit to standards and the oils are tested each year in the laboratory and by a panel of tasting experts to ensure quality.

Sue passes around the Oakhurst

to be wine. When we bought Lemoendrif it was a peach farm but we pulled up the trees and put in Kalamata and other olive-oil varieties.

The Du Toits flung themselves into their new careers with a passion. Olives work well here for several reasons. We have a high rainfall and the right physical conditions for high-density production but the fact that this is a disease-free area is very important, Pieter insists. And they have been vigilant about keeping it that way. When they built the tasting room the architects suggested bringing in two really old trees to flank the entrance. But the olive-oil consultant was adamant they didnt run the risk of introducing diseases

OPPOSITE TOP: The beautifully tended groves at Oakhurst Olives. LEFT: Hand harvesting olives at Oakhurst. ABOVE: Pieter du Toit of Oakhurst Olives. ABOVE RIGHT: Sue du Toit introduces us to some of her EVOO creations. RIGHT: The grand Oakhurst tasting centre and demo kitchen.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL w LOCAL FLAVOURS

www.countrylife.co.za098

Premium Reserve. Compare the smell of that to this, she says with pride. We repeat the now-familiar process: one hand cups the glass to warm it while the other stops the aromas escaping. The oil, made from Koroneiki olives, smells of mown grass. The trick of blending is to recreate roughly the same taste as the previous year. But sometimes we get a monocultivar like this that can stand on its own so we dont blend it.

As we imbibe she disappears into the kitchen, returning with platters of yummy olive dishes. Just a little snack, she insists as we dig in. These are a few of the unique Oakhurst Kalamata recipes that my lifelong friend, chef Caroline Parker, and I were working on for the tasting room when she passed away earlier this year.

Somewhat later than expected, we take the short drive to Waverley Hills, an organic wine and olive estate on the other side of town, where winemaker Johan Delport offers us a taste of some of their olive products.

Although 90 per cent of their production is extra virgin olive oil one of their big customers is Pick n Pay, whose organic extra virgin oil is bottled on the farm they also produce tasty tapenades, pastes and

dried olives, which we all agree are as moreish as biltong.

The farming and processing of our wines and olives are strictly controlled in order to maintain our organic status, Johan explains as he walks us through the rows of olive trees. We try to build up the resistance of plants through natural means in the same way that people do by eating healthily and generally looking after themselves.

He leads us into the production centre where Elsie Sigila is pitting freshly

harvested olives. Were mesmerised by her dexterity; its a bit like watching someone knit. She smiles at the analogy. Yes, I could pit olives in my sleep. Ive been working at Waverley Hills for ten years.

Back at the tasting room we decide to put off visiting our third olive-oil destination until tomorrow and finish the day by sampling the estates organic wines. As with wine, less is more; theres only so much olive oil you can enjoy in a day, so a good plan is to combine olive oil tasting with other activities.

Next morning we head for Groote Vallei Olive Estate for the final stage of our extra virgin olive oil tour. Youve been to the sublime, now to the ridiculous, owner John Acland exclaims when he hears of our visits the day before. A mining engineer by trade, John retired from digging diamonds in Tanzania 12 years ago. I found the farm on the internet, he says with a laugh. It was

ABOVE: Johan Delport in front of the grand restaurant and tasting room at Waverley Hills, our second port of call. RIGHT: Superb organic extra virgin olive oils from the Tulbagh area.

ABOVE: An engineer by trade, John Acland of Groote Vallei. RIGHT: Elsie Sigila pits freshly harvested olives.

Go to countrylife.co.za

for Glynis van Rooyens top 5 estates

to taste EVOO

the most expensive blind date of my life. He takes us into the outhouse that serves

as his olive shed and shows off his fancy, new press. With this new oil-extraction machine I can process 80kg of olives per hour, he says. We dont use presses any more. Now a centrifuge is used to separate the pomace, water and oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the lightest so it goes to the centre while the heavier particles are thrown to the outside and are then used as compost.

Quite a contrast to days of old when farmers such as Jan Minnaar, a pioneering olive-oil producer, used a big granite wheel and trough, harnessed to oxen, to smash

the olives. They then put the paste on big, circular hessian mats, applied a jack and pressed out the oil a very labour-intensive operation.

As is Johns boer maak n plan means of packaging, which involves hand-pouring the oil from barrels through a funnel into darkened glass bottles and papsaks. Air and light cause olive oil to deteriorate quickly so we only pick what we can process in 24 hours and then package it immediately. While it doesnt look as classy as a bottle, a papsak of extra virgin is the way to go. Its much easier to preserve once opened because no oxygen or light can get in.

In the adjacent office is his Brag Wall with a host of prestigious awards. Despite being a home industry, Groote Vallei was one of the top five extra virgin olive oils in South Africa in 2014. On the stoep we sample his award-winning oil, and note a grassy taste, the burn of pepper, then rocket. I cough as the pepper catches the back of my throat. The Italians say if you cough three times its a good oil, says John approvingly.

Clearly Im a natural. Maybe Ill volunteer my services to the awards tasting panel next year. n

Map reference F2 see inside back cover

History of Olive Oil in South African Olive oil was first produced in South Africa in the late

19th century by Piet Cilli, a Wellington fruit farmer who was so pioneering that the government sent him to California to learn more about the fruit industry.

n In addition to exotic fruit trees, Piet California as he became known, brought back some olive trees, which he planted on his farm.

n His enthusiasm for this new crop inspired a nearby Paarl farmer, Jan Minnaar, to plant olives and to produce olive oil using a wine press that he had modified for the purpose.

n Jan was soon recognised for his entrepreneurial spirit: at the 1907 London Show his was proclaimed the finest oil produced in the British Empire.

In a Nutshelln A self-guided extra virgin olive oil tour is great way to

explore the Cape Winelands, and there is much in the olive-production process that you can include in your bespoke tour.

n Oakhurst Olives 023 230 0842 www. oakhurstolives.co.zaWaverley Hills 023 231 0002www.waverleyhills.co.zaGroote Vallei Olive Estate 023 230 0660www.grootevallei.co.za

n The Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil in South Africa provides all the information you need to plan your tour, including the types of oils produced at each estate, opening hours, maps and contact details, as well as fascinating info on this oil in South Africa history, health benefits, nutritional value, tasting advice and recipes.

n Glynis van Rooyen who compiled the guide is available to lead a tour of any area on request. 082 775 8843glynis@thewineguides.co.za

ABOVE: All the Tulbagh EVOO estates are cradled by mountains. LEFT: Hanlie Allan and Glynis van Rooyen, producers of The Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil in South Africa.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL w LOCAL FLAVOURS