Australia Strikes Oil

Surrounded by an ancient forest of red gum trees, thousands of hectares of olive trees grow in ordered rows. Is this a scene from the Mediterranean? No.

It’s in Australia, where fertile red soils, warm summers and cool winters in Victoria’s Murray River region combine to create a climate much like the Mediterranean. In this area, known for outstanding food products and wine, Cobram Estate is producing premium extra-virgin olive oil and is making a serious run at North American markets.

Extra-virgin is the highest grade of olive oil. It is extracted from healthy olives using a mechanical process without excessive heat, additives or solvents. It must be free of defects and have an acidity of 0.8 percent or less. Olive oil contains high levels of good-for-you monounsaturated fats and valuable antioxidants that reduce risk of heart disease and also lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels.

Food professionals and home cooks have long believed European olive oil is best. However, in a summer 2007 issue of The New Yorker, Tom Mueller alleged that regulation of olive oil in Europe, particularly in Italy (the largest consumer, importer and exporter of olive oil in the world) is lax and corrupt. Mueller wrote that Italian shippers routinely adulterate olive oil and that only about 40 percent of olive oil sold as “extra-virgin” actually meets the specifications set by European Union law.

As a result of these reports, and the accompanying fluctuations in quality, consumer confidence is slipping in European olive oils. Thus, after centuries of being the centre of olive oil production, the Mediterranean now has competition from Chile, Argentina, South Africa and, more particularly, Australia.

What is really impressive at Australia’s Cobram Estate is how quickly olives are turned into oil. When the eight-week harvest begins, a two-person giant harvesting machine, called a Colossus, straddles a row of olive trees while rubber tentacles gently swat off the olives at a rapid pace.

Using this technology (instead of tree shakers, which can damage roots) increases productivity tenfold. Twenty-two machines do the work of 5,000 people during the eight-week, 24-hour-a-day harvest. Cobram’s heavy-duty harvesters and on-site storage and bottling facility ensure that olives are processed within a few hours of being picked, when they are at their freshest.

Freshness is crucial — it ensures Australian olive oil keeps the fresh and fruity taste that is its hallmark. The 2010 harvest is expected to produce about 4.8 million gallons. According to Paul Miller, president of the Australian Olive Oil Association, the country could easily double production from existing trees. By doing that, it would then account for about one percent of world production.

Rob McGavin, CEO of Cobram Estate, grew grapes before he grew olives. There is a similarity, he says. They both require the same type of climate, with a few exceptions. Olives resist extreme summer heat better than grapes, and grapes tolerate lower temperatures in winter. Olives do not go dormant in winter and, unlike other fruit trees, olive trees are fickle —  if stressed by late harvest or severe frost, they will sacrifice next year’s crop to save themselves. The olives themselves are hardier than grapes and less prone to damage from sunburn, birds and high winds.

Like fine wines, olive oils vary in flavour because scores of olive varieties are cultivated around the world. Cobram’s oils are produced and labelled according to different flavour profiles: Light and Delicate for stir-frying and roasting; Fresh and Fruity for sautéing and grilling; Rich and Robust to drizzle over pastas and vegetables; Lemon Twist to garnish delicate fish or for baking. Unlike wine, extra-virgin olive oil reaches peak flavour at five months. If properly stored in a cool, dark place, it should last one to two years.

With the great diversity of options available, and the number of producers committed to quality productions, extra-virgin olive oil menus may one day become as common as wine lists.

For more information on Cobram Estate extra-virgin olive oil availability in Canada, go to cobramestate.com.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

This flavourful tapenade adds a tasty flair to everything, from roast chicken to grilled tomatoes and a rustic pizza.

2 cups pitted Kalamata olives

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

Zest of 1/ 2 lemon

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine olives, garlic and lemon zest and chop into a rough paste using a food processor. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the lemon juice and parsley, drizzle the oil over the olives, and stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

Makes approximately 2 cups.