01 Dec VINTAGE YEAR FOR ALTO OLIVES
Ask any primary producer and they will agree it takes many seasons to create hero food brands. ALTO Olives was established in 1999 and now almost 25 years later can humbly claim status as one of Australia’s prestige olive producers, a reputation underpinned by several recent international olive industry awards.
First up, the 2023 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) where ALTO Misto Table Olives won four – Best Table Olive of Show, Best Table Olive of Southern Hemisphere, Best Australian Table Olive and Champion Table Olive (Class 12).
‘We have invested heavily in refining both our oleaculture and processing methods for ALTO table olives and after nearly 25 years we are beginning to truly understand what it takes to produce an award-winning product,’ explained ALTO Olives proprietor, Robert Armstrong. ‘It’s really a combination of time, care, food science and nature, but of course we can’t control all those variables.’
ALTO Misto Olives are a medley of several succulent varieties of small to larger olives distinguished by their firm crisp texture, and intense flavours encompassing nutty and fresh apple undertones complemented by balanced acidity and saltiness.
The 2023 olive harvest also delivered exceptional quality extra virgin oils harvested from Alto’s 20,000-tree grove located on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range near Crookwell NSW.
Two of these oils were recently awarded Silver Medals at the prestigious 2023 New York International Olive Competition. The dual medals were awarded to ALTO Robust (predominantly a blend of Frantoio and Leccino with a small component of non-estate oil due to frost) and the flagship mono-varietal ALTO Vividus pressed from the estate’s less common cultivar, Hardy’s Mammoth.
Closer to home ALTO Vividus won dual Gold Medals at the 2023 AOIA and Sydney Royal Shows and ALTO Robust scored Silver status at both shows.
‘To be able to benchmark our fresh season oils against the world’s best is particularly satisfying, and bodes very positively for Australia’s olive industry,’ said Robert Armstrong.
ALTO table olives and extra virgin oils are available nationally from fine food providores.