Varietals on trend at 2024 Australian International Olive Awards

The Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) are run annually by the Australian Olive Association (AOA) and opened to international entries in 2017. Judging is also international, with the 2024 entries evaluated by expert panels in Italy, China, Tunisia, New Zealand and Australia.

Australian entries dominated this year’s winners list, with judges praising the field of complex and aromatic extra virgin olive oils, lingeringly intense flavoured oils and textural, fruity table olives.

The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in Show awards set the trend for this year’s competition, with both awarded to single varietal oils. The pinnacle achievement was by Rio Vista’s Hardy’s Mammoth EVOO, awarded Best EVOO in Show, Commercial Volume; Best EVOO Southern Hemisphere; Best Australian EVOO; Best South Australian EVOO; and Champion Other Varietal EVOO. The Hardy’s Mammoth was also awarded a Platinum medal and the judges’ highest score of 94/100.

Best EVOO of Show, Boutique Volume was awarded to Grassy Spur Olives’ Frantoio varietal, which gained an equally impressive 93 points and a Platinum medal from the judges. It added the trophies for Champion Italian Varietal EVOO and Best Victorian EVOO to its award cache.

“Growers had the whole gamut of challenges this year, from storms and floods to drought and heatwaves, yet they managed to produce amazing EVOOs with diverse aromas and flavours,” said Event Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels.

“They’ve also been defining the varietals which best suit their specific climate and growing conditions, with more now choosing to produce single varietal oils. More than 60% of this year’s entries were made from a single cultivar, up by nearly 15% from last year, and they earned two-thirds of the Gold and Platinum medals.”

The other major oil awards also went to southern producers, with Best Flavoured Olive Oil of Show, Commercial Volume awarded to Coonalpyn’s Longridge Olives for its Lemon Agrumato. The only flavoured oil to earn a Platinum medal, the 93-pointed oil also took the trophy for Champion Agrumato Olive Oil.

Best Flavoured Olive Oil of Show, Boutique Volume was awarded to Victoria’s Kyneton Olive Oil for its 91-pointed Chilli Infused, which was also named Reserve Champion Agrumato Olive Oil.

The Table Olive Competition also saw another stand-out achiever, with Victorian producer Gooramadda Olives taking the Best Table Olive in Show, Boutique Volume trophy for its Kalamata olives. Awarded 93 points and the table olive competition’s only Platinum medal, Gooramadda’s Kalamata was also named Best Table Olive Southern Hemisphere, Best Australian Table Olive and Champion Kalamata Olive.

The Best Table Olive of Show, Commercial Volume category reflected the international flavour of the competition, awarded to Chilean producer Atacama Aceituna Ltda for its Oliú Kalamata olives, which also received Gold and 90 points from the judges.

Spanish producer Goya en España led the field overall among international entrants, taking the trophies for Best EVOO Northern Hemisphere for its Goya Organics Premium EVOO — Gold, 90 points — and Best Table Olive Northern Hemisphere for its Manzanilla Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese. The stuffed Manzanilla also earned 89 points, Gold and the trophy for Champion Pitted and/or Stuffed Olives.

“The quality and flavour profiles of the flavoured oils and table olives were also fantastic, with this year’s top entries rated by the judges as some of the best yet,” Michels said.

The full list of winners is available here.

Image credit: iStock.com/riccardobruni