A love of natural environments and the outdoors led Nicky Reynolds into a career in horticulture. Shortly after joining the team at Cable Bay as head gardener, the winery purchased an extensive olive grove, so part of her brief became management of the grove. Cable Bay – The Waiheke Island Good Oil recently won a gold medal in the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards, the most prestigious olive oil awards in New Zealand.
While she might be slightly biased, Reynolds believes that Waiheke Island produces some of the best extra virgin olive oils in the world.
“At Cable Bay, our trees have to survive the rigours of the southerly winds, the heavy clay soils, warm balmy summers, the terrain – a quasi-Mediterranean environment in the Hauraki Gulf, you might say!”
Reynolds is committed to producing the highest quality oil possible. “We are aware of the exceptional health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and wish to present it in the best possible manner through good practice that also reflects an understanding of our land and environs.”
Olive oil has medicinal and edible uses and can be used for frying or dipping in any savoury and sweet dishes. When cooking vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, the vegetables can absorb the phenols from the oil, increasing the goodness of the vegetables.
So does olive oil-making have anything in common with winemaking?
“Yes and no,” she explained. “Both crafts are similar as far as trying to get a balance of flavour and phenolics, and both crops require racking and purifying. However vintners can measure sugar levels to optimise picking but olive growers don’t really have a measure – a few general rules of thumb but otherwise, until the oil is bottled, it can feel somewhat tenuous.”
Despite her confidence in the growing conditions and wholesome philosophy, Reynolds admitted to being surprised at receiving the gold medal.
“Were we pleased? Absolutely! We were also somewhat surprised, and it sets a high benchmark for the future.”
The judges were also pleased, with head judge Esteban Santipolio from Argentina describing the Cable Bay oil as having “green herbs and salad leaves on nose and palate, hints of pepper with a lingering finish.” This was no faint praise from a highly experienced oil judge.
“I have been involved in the assessment of olive oils at international competitions this year, including the prestigious New York International,” Santipolio said. “The oils entered in the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards are some of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oils I have tasted this season. They have been a delight to judge.”
In the long term, Reynolds hopes to produce organically-certified extra virgin olive oil.
“In the meantime, we apply organically certified fertiliser after soil testing and manage the grove as best possible with sound horticultural practice,” she explained. “And, like all land-based work, we need a bit of luck!”
