Martinborough Business Association

Martinborough has long been known for its wine. People from around the country now also associate Martinborough with premium olive oil. Martinborough olive oils have won many national and international awards over the years. And for local growers, this is the busiest and most exciting part of the year. Harvest season.

Martinborough Business Association wanted to highlight the people who bring this golden drop to our tables and share more about this time of year. Margaret Hanson from Blue Earth shares more…..

“Harvest is done differently on different groves. Most larger growers will be doing much of their

picking with machine harvesters. Fascinating machines that grip the base of the tree, unfold a net-like an upside-down umbrella around the tree, this sends a vibration through the tree to release the fruit. In a good year, up to 85% of the olives will come off. If you see an odd-looking machine being driven through town on the back of a large truck, chances are it will be an olive tree harvester.

Smaller growers, or those growing varieties like koroneiki, where the fruit is very small and does not shake off the tree easily, are spreading nets on the ground and using alternative methods like electric rakes, or even just hand rakes.

What ever the method, the key objective is to get the fruit off the trees, shipped to whichever olive press is being used, and pressed into beautiful extra virgin olive oil as quickly as possible.”

To celebrate all things olives a group of local olive growers, Lot 8, Olivo, Blue Earth Estate

Olive2Oil, Ruakokoputuna Olives, Atutahi, Left Field Olives & Ponticello Estate

have got together to design and fund the town flags flying to celebrate the harvest season.

Local olive oil can be purchased from Martinborough Wine Merchant, The Grocer and P&K 4 Square.

If you are keen to experience olive picking then head to Blue Earth Olives who are holding two “pick your own” days on Saturday 24 June and Sunday 9 July for people who want to make their own table olives. All you need to do is bring along a container big enough to hold all the olives you think you can eat over the next year or so. They will provide the recipe for pickling and share some hints on what they have learnt over the years. Contact Margaret on margaret@blueearthestate.co.nz or 027 4855 068 for details.

Follow Martinboroughwinevillage on social media where we will be sharing more on the olive harvest,  producers and recipes to enjoy.