Detailed Product Description

In 2008, we anticipate yielding 450,000 litres of Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil from our orchard, comprising nearly 75,000 trees. The Coonalpyn Olives Project, which is located in the southern part of the optimum zone for olive production in Australia, has been producing and selling Extra Virgin Olive Oil since 2004 to several leading Australian Brands.Health Benefits:Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat and is a good source of antioxidants. It appears that various levels of total fat (where the fat was mostly olive oil) can been associated with the excellent health (low levels of chronic diseases and high adult life expectancy) seen in the Mediterranean region for hundreds of years.The consumption of large amounts of vegetables and legumes in much of the Mediterranean region is made easier by the concomitant use of liberal amounts of olive oil, which enhances the taste and increases the energy density of these foods.Respected health expert Rosemary Stanton OAM PhD APD believes there are common features of some Mediterranean diets, which appear to be protective against cardio vascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. These protective elements include a predominance of vegetables, fruits, grains, fish, nuts and olive oil, with only small quantities of red meat, sugar and highly processed foods. The health benefits of olive oil continues to create new and growing markets amongst the health conscious consumer, and this trend is expected to continue in both the Asian and Western cultures.Our olive varieties and their origins:The olive varieties have been selected because they suit the conditions at Coonalpyn and also because they are well established mainstream varieties grown in other olive producing countries. The descriptions below are taken from the IOOC publication World Catalogue of Olive Varieties (2000) and also from what is known about olive variety importation into Australia. Picual:Picual is the main Spanish olive oil variety. This variety was imported into Australia from Spain by the Victorian Department of Agriculture in the 1960s. Picual is easier to harvest than some other Spanish varieties. Picual performs well at Coonalpyn and most other olive orchards in the region and is one of the main varieties. The oil has a particular taste that ideally blends with other varieties such as Barnea.Barnea:Barnea is an established major variety in Israel. It is also grown in other middle-eastern countries and in New Zealand and the USA. The Barnea variety was selected as a seedling tree in the Barnea Kadesh region of Israel and named after the region where it was found. This conventional olive selection program has been run since the 1970s by the Volcani Institute in Israel. Barnea was imported into Australia in the mid 1990s from the Volcani Institute in Israel under a special arrangement with the Australian government because the variety had the potential to suit Australian conditions and is easier to harvest than many other olive varieties.Barnea needs careful horticultural management but suits the climate at Coonalpyn. Barnea olives produce mildly flavoured but well-balanced olive oil that is the basis for most high quality blended oils in Australia. The Barnea variety is also being used in organic olive orchards because of its natural resistance to olive fungus diseases.Frantoio: Frantoio is a major Italian variety grown in the colder parts of Italy. The variety has been imported into Australia through several departments of Agriculture. We believe that the trees at Coonalpyn came from trees grown by the SA Department of Agriculture. At Coonalpyn Frantoio olives produce well coloured and flavoursome oil that is used in small quantities to add some mild but traditional olive flavours to blends.Leccino: This is another traditional Italian variety imported through the same means as Frantoio that has milder flavour than Frantoio but is used for similar purposes. Some customers of Coonalpyn Olives purchase the Leccino for specific blends.Manzanillo: Manzanillo is a major Spanish variety used to make olive oil and also to make table olives. The variety has been in Australia since the early 1900s and the trees at Coonalpyn came from nurseries that had access to several sources of Manzanillo. At Coonalpyn this variety is grown in small numbers of trees to provide pollen for the flowers of the other varieties. The Manzanillo oil from Coonalpyn has a unique fruity flavour that is sought by specialist oil blenders