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<pre>I think many growers in Australia and NZ are asking the wrong
questions. To take the wine industry as an example when I sought advice
from the Department of Agriculture on what to plant in the Barossa
during the 1960's I was told Pedro or Grenache. The Pedro did all the
wines from sherry to sekt while the Grenache did the reds. The label was
determined by shape of the bottle as much as the contents. Funnily the
one name that might have been relevant (Cote du Rhone) never appeared on
any label.

Some olive growers are at this stage - equivalent of asking - "what
is a good winegrape?"

Stage two was when the wine industry went out and imported (or
revived from near oblivion) and planted the classic varieties and
started to use then seriously to make some recognizable styles.

In stage three the industry acquired the confidence to build new
styles that are uniquely Australian and NZ.


Hopefully the olive industry can leapfrog stage one and go straight
to stage two. My advice would be to identify some styles you like from
Italy, Spain, Greece etc. and plant the varieties that make it. Of
course the climate and soil will mean it is different and you can
experiment later (stage three) with other combinations.

Cheers Brian Chatterton.




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