A
competition to find the most accomplished taster of extra virgin olive oil will
be staged in Chicago , USA
Organised
by International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes in association with the North
American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), the competition will be open to all
those attending a major event in Chicago
Tasters
will be invited to undertake a series of taste tests which will recognise
their:
- ability to detect and describe
defects in extra virgin olive oil,
- rank different intensities,
- discern between different
aromas and tastes, and
- identify extra virgin olive
oils from different varieties and regions worldwide.
Those who take the tests will also have the option of being ranked on the International
Register of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes. A score of 60% will accord the
status of Associate Savante and 80% the status of Savante. Currently there are
nine Associate Savantes worldwide coming from Spain ,
Canada , New Zealand , USA
and Jordan
The
International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes programme was founded in 2001 to
provide professional development towards the expert understanding of the tastes
and uses of extra virgin olive oil. Courses are run annually in various
countries including Italy , USA , Spain ,
Australia , New Zealand , South
Africa and United Kingdom
Savantes is
an independent enterprise which does not accept sponsorship or support from any
organisation which would be seen to compromise the ability to present
objectively the full range of styles of high quality extra virgin olive
produced around the world. For the courses producers are invited to submit
their oils for tasting with the invitations predicated on quality, awards and
differentiation.
Principal
and organiser of Savantes, Simon Field said when announcing the plans for the
competition ’ This will present a great opportunity for tasters from all parts
of the global olive industry to assess their skills, not only in technical
tasting but also in recognising varietals from other regions’.
He
continued, ‘There are many tasters at all levels of the industry who are
self-trained or formally trained. Now is the time for them to have their skills
recognised and publicised on an international register of tasters. We also hope
it will encourage those who do not achieve the higher scores to engage in
further training and experience to come back next year to gain higher
recognition.’
Further
details of the competition and Chicago Conference will be available through a
link to www.savantes.com by the end of
January.
