Press Release, January 2006

Morgenster voted Best Blended Olive Oil in the World

The recently published Italian Olive Oil Bible - L'Extravergine - A Guide to the Best Certified Quality Olive Oil in the World, has just rated Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the Best Blended Olive Oil in the World.

L'Extravergine is a handbook produced in Italy that supplies information about the world-wide production and consumption of olive oil with the intention of orientating it's readers towards quality.

There are 26 countries in the guide from which only 459 Extra virgin Olive Oils were eventually selected out of 3000 tasted. The Top 15 oils were again awarded which brings recognition to the fifteen best producers of olive oil in the world.

Owner - Giulio Bertrand attended the awards ceremony at Villa Fiorano in Rome and was ecstatic on receiving the award: "This continued international recognition of our Extra Virgin olive oil has placed Morgenster and South Africa firmly on the map as a producer of premium olive oil"

Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive Oil was also the first South African olive oil to be rewarded with Italy's foremost prize, the L'Orciolo d'Oro, seven years in a row, proving that it is not only the locals who consider it to be exceptional. Other accolades include being voted "Oil of the Year" in the Southern Hemisphere�New Season Extra Virgin Olive Oils Top Eight in Sydney, as well as receiving a Gold Medal at the 2003 and 2004 L.A. County Fair in California.

Morgenster also produces a lemon-infused olive oil as well as superb white truffle oil, olive pastes and table olives. This quality recognition did not come easily, as the finest olive trees initially had to be imported from Italy, which ultimately gave rise to the Morgenster olive tree nursery. Morgenster cultivates these trees, and once they reach the right size and are ready for transplanting, they are offered to South African growers with the desire to increase the overall quality of South African olive oils.

The oil is gently cold pressed, entirely natural, contains no additives or preservatives and is neither filtered nor refined.

Morgenster has recently relocated their olive oil tasting facility to their stunning wine cellar, as they are in the process of designing a new tasting and education centre so as to enlighten, delight and stimulate the use of this wonderful - and very healthy - oil in South Africa.

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