Savantes Melbourne 2013

Tasting the World’s Leading Olive Oils

Melbourne, Australia - 24th - 26th July, 2013

In 13 years Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes has held over 25 olive oil tasting programmes in many countries – Spain, Italy, United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

During this time the three-day programme has evolved into one of the world’s leading independent forums for the commercially important attributes of extra virgin olive oil.  Participants in the programme are able to:

• Taste the wide range of styles and flavour of extra virgin olive oils from many regions around the world
• Taste international award winners from the northern and southern hemispheres
• Evaluate your own new season extra virgin olive oil by comparison
• Discuss market trends in producing and importing countries
• Explore the culinary and health selling points of extra virgin olive oil Read more...

Savantes New York 2013

Savantes Returns to New York with Leading Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes - New York, USA
August 21 - 23, 2013

Following Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes tasting programmes held in New York in 2012 and February 2013, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes returns to New York bringing extra virgin olive oils judged to be the best in the world for tasting from August 21 - 23, 2013.

Founded in 2001, Savantes is an independent organisation which promotes excellence in the evaluation of extra virgin olive oils and their culinary use. The three-day programme highlights the unique tastes of olive oils from all regions around the world. Sessions also discuss the current market conditions and health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.

Participant's Comments

The Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes tasting programme was established in Melbourne in 2001, and since then has been run locations including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.  In 2013 Savantes will be presented in Seville, London and the East Coast of the USA.

Below are some of the comments made by Savantes Participants:

‘It was a fantastic few days. We tasted international oils we would never normally have the chance to experience, tasted and blended our own oils, and, importantly we met other olive oil enthusiasts and learned more about their thoughts and opinions’.
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

‘I just learnt so much fascinating stuff it was really a worthwhile experience’.
Modena, Italy

‘The program does a better job than any I have experienced at celebrating the art of extra virgin olive oil while also addressing the business realities of the ever-changing world market’.
Seville Spain

‘It was a fantastic experience and safe environment to learn in’.
London, United Kingdom

‘Tasting a wide range of different extra virgin olive oils from Australia and around the world gave us the opportunity to experience the different flavors and identify the numerous notes within some very complex olive oils’.
Melbourne Australia

‘We wanted to experience and learn about oils from a global perspective and Savantes certainly met our expectations. We have not found another course that offers what Savantes does’.
Vancouver Canada

Fourth Associate Savante Awarded in Spain

Maria Carrasco Martin has become the fourth participant in the International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes programme to achieve Associate Savante status. In doing so Maria came very close to Membership of the Savantes Register which is awarded to those who achieve full Savantes status. To qualify for these awards recognising personal tasting ability and knowledge, participants undergo a series of tests during the programme and must score 60% to become an Associate and 80% to become a Savante.

Maria works with the Sovena Group, one of the world’s largest olive oil trading companies and is based in Seville, Spain. She joins her colleague Gabriel Estevez of Sovena USA who became the first Associate Savante in the USA in the New York programme in February.

The programme now has an Associate in each of New Zealand, Canada, USA and Spain.

Gabriel Estevez becomes First Associate Savante in USA

The recently completed New York Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes programme welcomed the third Associate to the Register of International Savantes.

Gabriel Estevez, currently the Chief Operating Officer of Sovena USA, is the third Savante participant to achieve Associate status and came very close to being the first to achieve full Savante status since the ‘Testing Your Skill as a Taster’ was introduced  in 2009.

Gabriel was Born in Seville (Spain) where he attained a Chemistry degree and later a Doctorate with a thesis based on physical refining of olive oil. His professional career has been entirely with

Savantes 2013 - Oils Tasted

The Savantes tasting programmes held in New York, London and Seville in February and March 2013 featured a fantastic range of extra virgin olive oils from around the world. We would like to sincerly thank the distributors, producers and retailers who contributed oils for the programme.