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Tulbagh Valley

Strikes Oil
the extra virgin olive variety

Words Fiona McIntosh Pictures Fiona McIntosh, Matthew Holt, Glynis van Rooyen & Supplied

ts 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
096

www.countrylife.co.za

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL w LOCAL FLAVOURS

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.

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

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

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.

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
098

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
www.countrylife.co.za

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL w LOCAL FLAVOURS

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 Africa


n 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 Nutshell
n A self-guided extra virgin olive oil tour is great way to

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.

Go
to countrylife.co.za
for Glynis van
Rooyens top 5 estates
to taste EVOO

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.za
Waverley Hills 023 231 0002
www.waverleyhills.co.za
Groote Vallei Olive Estate 023 230 0660
www.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 8843
glynis@thewineguides.co.za

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