Today we headed out of the estate for some art, wine and oil! Our first stop was Rototawai, a tranquil landscape & restored homestead located in the rural setting of the southern Wairarapa: a family property made available to the public to enjoy a private collection of art, a unique landscape and historic home.
We arrived to our surprise to a long line of vibrant colored classic Model T cars. It seems there was a convention in town. The cars lined the long driveway in front of this historic house.
Driving through the quinte town of Martinborough, Graig, our driver then told us about the wine history of the area. This is where the first Pinot Noir grapes were planted and is said to have great wine. So naturally we stopped at a vineyard for lunch and then a tasting. This was Rumholders, owned by the same man that owns the lodge. We have learned through multiple experiences that if the person conducting the tasting senses that you know something about wine, they bring out the good stuff. So, a tasting that was initially for four wines, turned into six and the last was a $200 bottle of some very good Pinot.
We next headed to an olive grove for an olive oil education and tasting. I was surprised to learn that olive trees would grow this far south, but as Jane, the owner of the establishment, said, where they grow good wine, they grow good olives.
She first took us on a tour of her English garden, then we were joined by six others, a young group from Wellington, to tour the olive grove. There are over 1200 trees of various varieties of olives. She explained the live cycle and the harvesting methods and then we returned to the tasting room where first she showed a short video of the process to harvest and turn the olives into oil.
Finally, we got to do the tasting. A small amount of oil was poured into a small plastic cup which she said we should hold in the palm of our hands and cover with the other hand. Doing this captures the aromas which after a while we were told to smell.
While we were holding the cup, Jane explained the various levels of oil and their meaning. Extra virgin being the best and meaning that the olives were cold pressed, that is they were never exposed to heat above 24 degrees centigrade while they were processed into oil. Also, after extraction, the oil needs to pass several tests and chemical analysis to make sure it meets numerous chemical parameters including a free fatty acid contend of 0.8% or less. Then we were to taste, bring the oil to our mouths and swish it around and suck air into our mouths, similar to the process of wine tasting. However, the difference was, then you swallow, instead of spitting. The reason, aside from the fact that it is not alcoholic, is that you can taste the oil in your throat as well as in the mouth. In fact, I did feel a sort of burning just at the top of the neck behind the tongue.
Next, she laid out several versions of infused oil which we tasted with some small pieces of bread.
