<table border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing="0"><tr><td>
<pre>Dear Haluk

Thank you for breaking your silence. It is interesting to hear the opinions
and learn from the experiences of friends in all parts of the olive growing
world.

To get to the specifics of your mail, I do not believe there is
contradiction in what I said. I would like to say that the strong, peppery
oils are more indicative of the cultivar and the maturity of the fruit, the
terroir, etc., and less dependent upon the type of machinery used
(centrifuge or press). These characteristics are associated in no small way
with the polyphenol and glycosidic content of the oils.

It is contended by some that the hammer-mill crushers yield a more bitter,
stronger and spicy oil, when compared to the stone-mills, supposedly due to
the higher temperatures generated in the hammer-mill (up to 10 degrees C
higher than ambient in the hammer-mill). Because most centrifuges are
associated with hammer-mills, this may explain some of the difference.

But my problems with the pressing system relate to dirty mats, and the
associated defects related thereto, not to the press per se. I have tasted
(and produced) fantastic oils with presses, using new mats made from inert
synthetic material. But to keep these mats in this condition in an
industrial application is extremely difficult, well-nigh impossible in many
cases.

Some people prefer a bitter, stronger, spicy type of oil, and others prefer
a milder, sweeter oil, but nobody should prefer a defective, winey or fusty
oil.

Regards,

Guido
</pre>
</td></tr></table>