08 Apr High Praise for ALTO Olives
ALTO Olives has been recognised as one of Australia’s pre-eminent extra virgin olive oil producers at the inaugural Australian Armonia International Olive Oil Competition 2012 (1st Southern Hemisphere Championship).
ALTO Olives has been recognised as one of Australia’s pre-eminent extra virgin olive oil producers at the inaugural Australian Armonia International Olive Oil Competition 2012 (1st Southern Hemisphere Championship).
A family enterprise, ALTO Olives was awarded the equivalent of four Trophies at this new, internationally founded olive oil show. The prestigious Damian Conlan ‘Single Armonia’ Trophy was awarded to ALTO Vividus, showcasing the Best Extra Virgin Oil from a single olive varietal. The company’s flagship oil ALTO Vividus is produced from the estate grown colonial Australian selection, Hardy’s Mammoth, Australia’s original olive variety.
Another major accolade was the Armonia Packaging Trophy for the newly released, strikingly branded ALTO Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This oil also won the equivalent of two Trophies for the top-pointed oil in the Organic Category and in the Delicate Fruity Category.
‘To receive four major citations celebrating not just the quality of our Extra Virgin oil but also the design excellence of the overall brand identity is immensely encouraging for an artisan producer,’ said proprietor Robert Armstrong, who founded the 15,000-tree high altitude grove in 1999 near Crookwell, NSW.
‘The Armonia Awards will be a great boost to both our Australian hospitality and retail trade awareness, and to our planned export marketing drive.’
ALTO Olives was also awarded a Grand Mention Diploma in the Intense Fruity Category for the flagship ALTO Vividus.
The Competition was conducted according to global standards set by the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) and involved rigorous organoleptic assessment by Australia’s accredited Olive Oil Sensory Panel, located at the Australian Oils Research Laboratory, Wagga Wagga. Subsequently, the finalist oils in the inaugural southern hemisphere division Armonia Competition were judged by a panel of leading Australian chefs including Giovanni Pilu (Pilu), Ross Lusted (Bridge Room), Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio) and Master Chef Australia’s Gary Mehigan.