NEW SEASON’S OLIVE OIL TASTINGS – 

Tasting new, freshly-pressed olive oil – Italians refer to it as “Olio Nuovo” – a traditional harvest ritual and celebration to launch the new season’s extra virgin olive oil.

We’re delighted to bring this wonderful custom to Wairarapa with our inaugural series of EVOO tastings aimed at both the fine food industry and olive growers, led by our visiting international oil maker and judge, Pablo Voitzuk.

The main tasting – at the Union Square at 3:00pm on Friday 5th July – is a free, and intended for fine food and beverage industry people, especially Wairarapa businesses; it is not an event for the general public. This is a two hour masterclass for food/wine/olive oil industry people featuring super-fresh oils from New Zealand’s premier olive oil region.

The tastings will be of Momo cultivar(single varietal) to showcase the defining charactaristics and optimise options for blending or for use as an ingrdiant in fine foods or nutracenticals. It ill be led by internationaljudge and consultant Pablo Vortzuk.  

This will be  followed by olive-themed canapes by Michelin Star Chef Adam Newell of Union Square, with wines to purchase – see attached. If you would like to attend this tasting, just RSVP by email to me at rod@theolivepress.co.nz or text me at 027 443 5996.

The second tasting – at 3:00pm on Saturday 6th July will be followed at 6:00pm by a five-course degustation designed to showcase the very best Wairarapa has to offer. This double-header is for food, wine and olive oil lovers keen to take their senses to another level: Chef Adam has taken inspiration for the five courses from Associazione Internazionale Ristoranti dell’Olio, a Tuscan-based organisation that heroes olive oil/fine food combinations, and matched them with superlative Ata Rangi wines – see attached.

If you are keen to attend either Saturday event, you will need to contact Union Square in Martinborough directly on info@unionsquare.co.nz or 06 306-9350 and be prepared to book and pay early as seating for the tasting ($30pp) and the degustation ($145pp or $150 for both) is strictly limited.