Dear Constantine,

I am not knocking the old ways, and I am not suggesting that we do away with
them. I just feel that we should try new ways as well

Regards

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Constantine Alexander [mailto:papashaven@hotmail.com]
Sent: 18 June 2000 17:28
To: OliveOil@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] RE: [Olive Oil] Oil percentage


Dear Mike:

I agree with you.

It is interesting but we forget sometimes that the European old traditional
ways were considered to be modern at a certain time. Although I get
terrified just to the thought of "wine "coolers" (some kind of terrible
potion that advertisers use as a way of torturing me when I watch the TV
news) lets not forget that the ancient Greeks and the Romans use to mix
their wine with water or fruit juices or pine raisin (see retsina). I am
sure that there was a time when having wine along was considered modern and
revolutionaty!

I like the old ways. Not only as a matter of technique but as a way of life
and as part of a Nation's culture.

Regards,
Constantine


>From: "Mike Meredith" <mike@riebeek-kasteel.co.za>
>Reply-To: OliveOil@egroups.com
>To: <OliveOil@egroups.com>
>Subject: [OliveOil] RE: [Olive Oil] Oil percentage
>Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 10:18:03 +0200
>
>Hi,
>
>I have been watching this debate with some interest. It seems as if it is a
>debate between the traditionalists and the new agers. If one uses the
>example of wine making, I live in an area in South Africa where wine and
>olives are produced. Back to my example, if the wine industry had not taken
>advantage of modern technology and new ideas we would still be in the wine
>stone age, we would have missed out on some beautiful new blends and
>cultivars. So why not with olive oil. Don't get me wrong I am not
>advocating
>some awful chemical process for extracting oil. All I am saying is lets
>think laterally for a change, its not sufficient to say "The Europeans have
>always done it that way so why change"
>
>Regards
>
>Mike and Julie (Olive oil pressers)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Brian Chatterton [mailto:tn7685@orvienet.it]
>Sent: 19 June 2000 09:11
>To: Olive List
>Subject: [OliveOil] Oil percentage
>
>
>Robin,
>
>Quite a list of questions!!
>
>As far as Q 1 is concerned measuring the oil percentage as one does the
>sugar in grapes is not a useful means of determining the date for
>picking. If you get the Australian Olive Grower you will see in the
>January issue the results of trials in the Provincia of Grosseto (page
>21) where the percentage of oil varied by something like 5% from year to
>year from the same plot of olives that is from 18.2% to 23.5%. for
>unirrigated Frantoio.
>
>
>The same problem occurs with extraction. We have been advised not to
>seek the highest possible oil percentage as this will require heat etc
>which will reduce the quality of the oil. In Italy I do not know of any
>growers who have their olives "tested" in the same way as we had our
>grapes tested in the Barossa Valley.
>
>The most important aspect of determining harvest date is fruit fall. We
>have described it in our book but it does seem to be too simple for
>growers in Oz and NZ to accept!! They believe there must be a more
>comlex formula based on oil percentage, colour etc.
>
>Cheers Brian Chatterton.