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<pre>Hans,
If you were a good wine student, like ours, you would know that wine does
not generally contain significant amounts of chlorophyll (the green in
leaves, fruit). Therefore wine does not change colour because of the
breakdown of the chlorophyll from green to brown/yellow pigments. Olive oil
does.

The degree of green in fresh oil can easily be changed by adding more
leaves. If it were a quality parameter it could thus easily be adjusted by
adding chlorophyll extract or leaves during processing. As far as I am
aware it does not have a direct effect on taste or sensory attributes.
Someone may correct me on that.

You may be aware that egg yolk colour is also 'adjusted' by adding orange
xanthophyll pigments in the feed. One can add these pigments to the feed
for free-range poultry and achieve improved yolk colour in "free range"
eggs. Yolk colour was once used as a measure of quality also.

So the issue is really a marketing one. People in shops associate the
rich, green colour with freshness (see soap and detergent adverts on TV!).
That means that they have a preference for green or golden oils rather than
pale or colourless ones. My OLive Production & Marketing students find that
out on the first day of the course each year.

I would prefer that the industry continue to judge colourless while
acknowledging the marketing value of green/gold. Otherwise we will end up
with all sorts of challenges to the judging of oil quality - it is hard
enough already, thank you.

Bob Barrett, Horticulture, Viticulture & Oenology Department, The
University of Adelaide. Member of some AOA and OSA judging panels.

PS - Our Wine Marketing (internal and external modes) courses include olive
oil appreciation since we recognise the synergy between oil and wine
marketing - evidence the Primo Estate - Joseph brands from Joe Grilli. Hans
and other will find details on the net at www.adelaide.edu.au and searching
for 'wine'.


At 03:33 PM 11/12/02 +0100, you wrote:
> Hallo Nico,>
>Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a sequence
>of: >Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
>Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid, other)
>through smelling/tasting.
>Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!
Greetings, Hans
>
</pre>
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