It’s time we gave this underdog some real love.
Alright amici, gather round. We always talk about Italy, Spain, Greece—rightfully so, of course—but every now and then, something quietly special comes out of left field. Today, I want to shine a little light on a country that’s doing EVOO right… even if no one’s really talking about it.
Australia. Yes, really.
Now before you raise an eyebrow, hear me out.
Not Just Kangaroos and Shiraz
Australia didn’t have a deep olive-growing heritage—at least not until the late 1990s. But what they lacked in tradition, they made up for with an obsessive attention to detail and quality. In just a couple decades, they’ve gone from producing barely a drop to around 20,000 tonnes of high-grade extra virgin olive oil per year.
And I mean the good stuff—this isn’t industrial-grade filler. We’re talking vibrant, fresh, high-polyphenol oils with real character.
The Regions You Need to Know
Australia’s got some surprisingly ideal terroirs for olive trees. Here are the standouts:
- Victoria (especially Central-North) – This is their olive heartland. Hot summers, cool winters—great for slow, flavourful ripening.
- South Australia – Think bold, peppery oils. This region is home to Rio Vista, whose Hardy’s Mammoth just got crowned best EVOO in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Western Australia – Along the coast north of Perth, you’ll find smooth, balanced oils with great fruit character.
- New South Wales & Tasmania – Smaller producers, often boutique operations, but what they lack in volume, they make up for in finesse.
No Nonsense Standards
One of the things I love about Aussie EVOO? They don’t mess around with labeling tricks.
- No misleading “pure” or “light” garbage on the shelves.
- All oils must meet strict Australian Standard AS5264-2011, which goes above what many EU regulations require.
- If it says “extra virgin” on the bottle, it’s the real deal.
That’s a level of transparency I wish more regions enforced.
The Producers Putting Australia on the EVOO Map
Here are a few worth knowing:
- Cobram Estate – The benchmark for Australian EVOO. Massive operation with a sharp focus on quality and transparency. Every batch is rigorously tested, certified, and loaded with awards—safe bet for real, fresh extra virgin olive oil.
- Red Island (Boundary Bend) – Sibling to Cobram, Red Island is accessible, affordable, and consistently tested for authenticity. It’s certified by national standards, making it a trustworthy name for genuine EVOO on Aussie shelves.
- ALTO Olives – Boutique producer from NSW that takes testing and transparency seriously. Gold-medal winner batch after batch, and you can even find their harvest analyses online. High quality, real EVOO with plenty of character.
Awards, Recognition… and Still Flying Under the Radar
Aussie oils routinely win medals at major competitions—from New York to Tokyo. But they’re still largely overlooked in everyday conversations about top-tier EVOO. That needs to change.
These oils are:
- Cold-pressed within hours of picking.
- Grown with minimal intervention—often organic or biodynamic.
- Bursting with freshness, bitterness, and complexity.
In other words? They deserve a seat at the table.
Why You Should Give Aussie EVOO a Shot
- Looking for an everyday EVOO with real quality? Try Cobram Estate’s Reserve line.
- Want something boutique and bold? Hunt down Rio Vista or Wulura.
- Into high-polyphenol oils? Australia’s got you covered—many of their oils clock in at over 500 mg/kg.
Look—I’m not here to knock tradition. I’ll always have a bottle of Tuscan or Andalusian oil on my shelf. But discovering good olive oil is like discovering good music: it’s not always about the charts. Sometimes you’ve got to dig a little deeper.
And down in Australia? There’s something special growing. Trust me.
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#LucaOnTheOils #AustralianEVOO #HiddenGems #OliveOilProducers #ExtraVirginOliveOil #SupportQuality