Californian olive oils will be presented for the first time in Spain with an exclusive tasting at the WOOE

The prestigious expert, Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, will be in charge of directing this tasting session.

California, covering an area of approximately 18.000 hectares of olive groves, with more than 400 producers, and a production for the 2016/17 marketing year estimated at 13.300 tonnes of olive oil, will be one of the regions invited to the upcoming World Olive Oil Exhibition. The prestigious expert, Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, will be in charge of directing one of the most expected tasting sessions of the trade fair; in which a selected variety of prime-grade Californian olive oils will be tasted.

In addition to being an international consultant, a writer and researcher focusing on olive oil, Mrs. Kicenik Devarenne is the co-founder of Extra Virgin Alliance (EVA), an international non-profit association devoted to the implementation of appropriate standards for olive oil quality. She defines the work of EVA as follows:“EVA is an international trade association with a mission to improve the value of extra virgin olive oil for everyone in the chain: from producer to purveyor to consumer. We summarize our strategy in three words: INFORM, CONNECT, CELEBRATE. INFORM consumers and the trade about quality extra virgin olive oil. CONNECT them to producers of authentic extra virgin olive oil. CELEBRATE this delicious and healthy food”.

Regarding the defining characteristics of Californian olive oils, Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne comments: “It is difficult to generalize about California olive oil because there is a lot of diversity. The vast majority of the production is from super-intensive orchards, and the characteristic three varieties (Arbequina, Arbosana, Koroneiki). But there is a lively artisan industry making olive oil from many different varieties, and interest in diverse cultivars is strong and growing”. 

Additional data about the history of the olive tree in California: “The olive tree came to California with the Franciscan missionaries in the latter part of the 18th Century and the first production of olive oil was at the missions. The history of olive oil in California rose as fell over the years as a result of numerous factors; the ‘renaissance’ of California olive oil can be said to date to the late 1980’s.  I’ll be presenting a selection of olive oils chosen to illustrate this story of olive oil in California, including a oil made from our very own cultivar, the Mission olive”.

People within the sector comment that, due to its quality, Californian olive oil can follow the example of what has been done with wine in this region; Californian wine is currently well-known and in high demand worldwide. In a sense, this tasting, which will take place on March 29^th, will serve to raise awareness of this product in Europe.

Concerning the possibility that this might be the first occasion in which Californian olive oils are presented in Europe, Mrs. Kicenik Devarenne points out that: “It might be! I asked around and no one knew of any similar presentation at a European event such as this”.

Regardless of the fact that this could be the first time that Californian olive oils are presented in Europe, we are very proud to have Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne at the WOOE and also to have such a great opportunity to taste an amazing selection of Californian olive oils the coming 29^th of March.

 

WORLD OLIVE OIL EXHIBITION

The World Olive Oil Exhibition, which will be held on the coming 29^th and 30^th of March 2017 at Madrid’s IFEMA, offers the best opportunity to stimulate an increasingly global market. This trade fair is mainly geared towards producing cooperatives and olive mills that seek to open new markets and exportation possibilities.

For the 2017 fair, the WOOE is committed to gathering, in Madrid, the major international companies, guaranteeing an important presence of importers from the United States, the Middle East, Italy and Central Europe. Taking into account the active focus on olive oil by several emerging countries, an international event such as this trade fair is also an opportunity for the packaging sector to position itself in those emerging markets.