Extra virgin olive oil
In 1999 we specially
selected a small parcel of land on our property to commence our initial plantings
of our olive grove. The area was chosen for the loamy/gravel over rock
consistency with good drainage.
The area of
Chittering/GinGin has a latitude similar to that of the Mediterranean making it
the perfect location in Australia for olive trees. Both of these provided us
the best opportunity to produce the highest quality olive tree and fruit.
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In 2004, 600kgs of fruit were picked by
hand and a blend of five varieties, Frantoio, Mission, Pendlino, Leccino and Coratina were
pressed locally to produce 100 litres of cold pressed olive oil. Samples were
taken and sent to Agriculture Dept. where their results proved white dog farm olive oil to be extra virgin
olive oil, the highest of quality.
The oil is smooth, fruity with a hint
of spice on the after palate. It is golden in colour and has an excellent
aroma.
To maintain the quality, olive oil should
be stored away from direct sunlight, kept cool not refrigerated, and have
minimal exposure to air.
To read about the
different styles of olive oil click here
To view test results
click here
375 ml
$15.00 per bottle
Styles of Olive Oil
An extract from Extra Virgin by Karen Reichelt with
Michael Burr
Virgin olive oil is
obtained from the fruit of the olive tree by means that do not alter the oil at
all. No solvents are used, no other oils are mixed with it, and it is not
refined in any way. The olives are washed, crushed or milled and centrifuged,
or pressed but that is all.
Virgin olive oil is
graded according to its acidity in categories set down by the International
Olive Oil Council (IOOC)the international body of participating Nations
responsible for the coordination of marketing of olives and olive oil
worldwide, into extra virgin olive oil, fine virgin olive oil and ordinary
virgin olive oil. Acidity of the oil is important because of reflects the care
on the handling and pressing of the fruit. The lower the acidity level, the
better the quality of oil. Olive oil should be consumed within 18 months of
harvest. Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age and it is preferable
to buy a bottle of olive oil with a year of harvest or expiry date on the
label. Back to top
Extra virgin olive oil
is the purest form of olive oil. It has perfect taste and an aroma with an
acidity of no more than one percent (1%). It is the most expensive of all oils.
Back to top
fine olive oil
This oil has minor imperfections
of taste and aroma and is slightly increased acidity, but not more than 2%. Back to top
ordinary olive oil
This oil has a less
than perfect taste and aroma, and an acidity between 2 to 3.3%. Back to top
first pressing
All olive oil labels
must show the grade of oil in the bottle. The label may also carry the words
first cold pressing. This wording, which will only be found on bottles of extra
virgin olive oil, means literally what it says, the bottle contains only oil
from the first pressing. First cold pressed olive oil is utterly unaltered and
retains its natural flavours. Back
to top
cold pressing
The label may just
carry the words cold pressed. This means that the heat used to extract the oil
has been kept to a minimum. If more heat is used, more oil will be extracted
but it will be of lower quality. Back
to top
lite olive oil
A very misunderstood
term, Lite olive oil means light in taste and aroma. Heat and chemicals are
generally used to extract the last of the oil. Lite olive oil may, during
processing, also be blended with other oils and therefore be low in quality. Back to top