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<pre>Tracey,

You have no doubt read the few pages in our book "Discovering oil"
devoted to Barnea. Since then I have tasted more NZ Barnea and have
found that some growers are getting round the "bland Barnea" problem
through extremely early picking. It certainly works. The oil has a bite.
The problem is lack of balance. Some one in this group descibed severe
burns (or at least the sensation) to the back of the throat after
tasting an oil. That is an exaggeration but without fruit to carry it
on the palate bitterness alone is not pleasant.

Why are Australians and New Zealanders so interested in such an obscure
variety?

Quality is important but also perceptions of quality. Take a leaf out
of the wine industry book. There are plenty of excellent wine grapes
that are not the French (mostly) famous dozen but Australia and NZ are
not major players in the world wine scene and are not going to convince
the world of the merits of excellent but obscure varieties.

Would it not be simpler to plant olive oil varieties with a proven track
record of quality rather than obscure varieties from Israel, California
and Ozzie ones that have lost their pedigree?


Cheers Brian Chatterton
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