Extra virgin olive oils are not processed or refined. It is said that you do not make extra virgin olive oil, you find it. Extra virgin olive oil is essentially "fresh squeezed" from the fruit of the olive tree, without alteration of the colour, taste, and nutrients or vitamins. Because of the integrity of the product, and its antioxidant components, olive oil will keep longer than all other vegetable oils.
Olive trees are among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world. Over the ages, different cultures have coveted its fruit for culinary, medicinal and spiritual reasons.Like wines, olive oils vary drastically in taste, depending on the type and quality of the fruit, the time of harvest, the weather and the climate of the region.New Zealand hosts a very distinct climate for olive cultivation. In most New Zealand olive-growing regions, the average daily temperatures are between 12C and 16C, while all have sunshine hours above 2000 hours and mean annual rainfall is between 500mm.and 1200mm. These conditions are excellent for the cultivation of olives.
