Olive Oil Made With Love Captures Hearts at 2010 EVOO Awards

A boutique Martinborough olive oil described as being “infused with love” has been awarded a Gold medal at the prestigious Olives New Zealand 2010 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) Awards.

Competing against more than 100 olive oils across New Zealand, MAD (Martinborough Art Department) Extra Virgin Olive Oil struck gold in the Boutique Medium Blend category and was further awarded the highly sought after Best in Class.

Described in the judges’ tasting notes as demonstrating grassy, herbaceous characters, well-balanced with subtle pepper, MAD Extra Virgin Olive Oil is created by artisans Leanne French and her husband Greg Keith.

Made at the base of the North Island in the fields of Martinborough, alongside the region’s signature Pinot Noir vines, each olive is hand picked, pressed nearby and sold locally, presenting an olive oil that is deep in colour and rich in flavour.

“Our olive oil reflects the nature of our company – little grove, big awards,” says French.

“It’s the little details that demand big attention, so we hand pick any frost damaged fruit two or three times before harvest, as well as picking the fruit at exactly the right time.”

“We also infuse the oil with a lot of love – which is what we believe makes it so great!” she says.

The award-winning limited edition olive oil is available both online and at selected stockists including the Martinborough Wine Centre, Ingredient – A taste of Martinborough, the Gourmet Food Store in Kerikeri and Smith & Caughey’s in Auckland.

For more information visit www.mad.org.nz