2024 JUDGES
HELEN TAYLOR
HEAD JUDGE AUSTRALIA – WAGGA WAGGA NSW
Helen has over fifteen years’ experience in olive oil judging at regional, state and national olive oil competitions in an associate, standard and head judge capacity. Helen was a judge at the finals of the Armonia International Olive Oil Show in Spain.
She is a trained food technologist and in 2003 began training in olive oil sensory evaluation. Helen was one of the founding members of the Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel at Wagga who then went on to undertake olive oil sommelier and olive oil sensory analysis training in Milan, Italy in 2015.
She has trained in table olive production and assessment and has judged in several table olive shows. Helen continues to be an active member of the Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel.
Dr Michelle Wirthensohn
HEAD JUDGE AUSTRALIA – CHARLESTON, SA
Dr Michelle Wirthensohn is the Horticulture Innovation Australia Senior Research Fellow with the University of Adelaide. Michelle has been involved in horticultural breeding and research since graduating from the University of Adelaide where she gained her Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons), Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and a PhD in Horticulture.
As a member of the Australian Olive Association’s (AOA) National Table Olive Committee, Michelle helped develop the Voluntary Industry Standard for Table Olives and the Australian Olive Association’s Code of Practice for table oil, table olives and other products.
She has been Head Judge for the Australian Olive Association’s National Table Olive competition since 2011 and for Olives South Australia (OSA) Royal Adelaide Olive Awards. Michelle has been Head Judge for the Australian International Olive Awards in 2017 -2019 and judge at the Fleurieu Fine Foods competition.
ALEANDRO OTTANELLI, ITALY – FLORENCE
Aleandro currently works with the University of Florence in the Faculty of Agriculture (Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, DAGRI).
Aleandro has been an olive oil judger for more than 20 years.He has achieved many formal olive industry qualifications including Panel Leader Certification and a Member Panel Test Certificate AIF0; ANAPOO. He has also contributed to the competition and guide: Slow Food, II Magnifico and M0OIC Montecarlo.
Aleandro is involved in research focusing on olive orchard management, cultivar characterization, breeding, mechanical harvest and the milling process. He has co-written more than 20 technical and scientific papers on these topics. He also has one Patent on the mechanical pruning process.
Aleandro is involved in several international projects including introducing olive oil cultivation in a number of East Asia regions.Aleandro is based in Florence and is a Director on the Board of Laudemio. He consults all things olive for Tenuta Maryamadoo and Palazzo Di Varignana Agricultural Estate.
MARGARET EDWARDS, NEW ZEALAND – AUCKLAND
In 2000 Margaret retired from full-time employment after a career as a dietitian and university lecturer, and having held management positions at major New Zealand companies, to concentrate on olive oil.
She is the author of numerous publications about food, nutrition and olive oil and a member of several specialist food and olive oil related organisations.
Margaret attended the International Olive Council’s (IOC) organoleptic training courses in New Zealand and then IOC Training Courses for Supervisors of Virgin Olive Oil Tasting Panels held in Italy in 1999 and 2005. She also attended Savantes courses in Australia.
In 2003, in conjunction with The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Consumer and Sensory Science Facility, Margaret set up, trained and led the Olives New Zealand Sensory Panel for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In 2005 the panel obtained IOC recognition and retained this, until the panel was disbanded in 2012.
Margaret has been an olive oil judge since 2002 and until 2019 judged in Australia and regularly at the Los Angeles and Olive Japan international competitions. She is a consultant to the New Zealand olive industry, runs olive oil workshops and lectures about New Zealand extra virgin olive oil.
In 1992, Margaret and her late husband, John, planted an olive grove on Waiheke Island. In 1997 they imported a mill from Italy and until 2020, contracted harvested and processed olives for numerous Waiheke olive growers, as well as producing their own award-winning extra virgin olive oil.
CHARLOTTE CONNOLEY, NEW ZEALAND – AUCKLAND
Charlotte was a member of the Olives New Zealand IOC accredited Sensory Panel since its inception. Charlotte became involved in olive oil judging after completing her honours dissertation on “Olive Oil Quality; The Effect of Cultivar and Location on Oil Quality” during her B.Hort.Sc at Lincoln University. She received first class honours based on this research.
Charlotte has a passion for the olive industry in New Zealand. She has been in the judging pool for the NZ EVOO Awards since the beginning in 2001. Charlotte has been a regular judge at the NZ Olive oil Awards, a panel member of the IOOC accredited NZ Olive Oil Panel and a speaker at the NZ Olive Conference (2001). In 2020 Charlotte was head judge at the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards.
Charlotte is the Managing Director of South Pacific Seeds NZ LTD, a subsidiary of the Australian based vegetable seed production and marketing company SOUTH PACIFIC SEEDS PTY LTD. The SOUTH PACIFIC SEEDS group (est. 1986) has since grown to be the largest specialist vegetable seed company in Oceania.
DR FRANCESCA ROCCHI, ITALY – ROME
Francesca is an international teacher and educator in the fields of food, wine and olive oil. She has been a regular taster and journalist at the Slow Food publisher’s Guide to Extravergini and is a member of the Il Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali’s (MIPAAF) working group dedicated to the culture of extra virgin olive oil. She also works with the Iatlian Chamber of Commerce.
In 2010 she was elected President of Slow Food Lazio and became a National Council Member for Slow Food Italy. In 2014, Francesca was made Vice President of Slow Food Italia, a role she continues today. Francesca is a member of the Italian Slow Food Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Presidia, an international project which promotes the environmental, landscape, health and economic value of Italian extra-virgin olive oil, and inform consumers about the qualities of good, clean and fair oil. She is also an educator in the field of food and wine for Slow Food and Eataly, with a focus on the olive tree cycle and on the potential of using EXTRAVERGINE in the daily diet.
Francesca is the artistic director of Fiera di Roma, an event dedicated to the Mediterranean Diet, which is held in Rome every year in November (www.mercatomediterraneo.it) where she facilitates a number of presentations dedicated to the culture of extra virgin olive oil. Furthermore, she is part of the tasting panel of SOL/Vinitaly and the Olive Japan International Olive Oil Competition. She speaks Italian, Spanish and English.
Francesca has numerous qualifications in the olive oil and wine (sommelier) as well as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) and enjoys volunteering her time as a representative committee member with Foodinsider (www.foodinsider.it), a digital platform devoted to food education with a focus on Italian school canteen menus.
ANNE STANIMIROFF, NEW ZEALAND – WAIHEKE ISLAND
Anne has honed her olive oil, wine and food knowledge and her tasting skills by spending several years as a restaurant manager, tour manager, tastings manager and office manager at Stoney Ridge Vineyard. Anne and her husband then established Rangihoua Estate on Waiheke Island in 1997. This olive growing business produces premium quality olives and world class olive oil. The brand is well known across the world and is popular with several very well-known celebrities. Combining the traditional and modern methods of Olive Oil processing, Rangihoua is now a leading brand in Extra Virgin Olive Oils, and produces the most prolific award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oils in New Zealand.
Anne proudly declares she was the first person in the North Island of New Zealand to grow olives and make quality olive oil. Anna plants, grows, hand harvests, processes, blends, markets and sells her oils. She has operated and grown the business for twenty-three years now. Anne has worked with the esteemed Margaret Edwards on judging panels and regularly assess and tastes olive oil. Anne’s oils have won numerous national and international awards including thirteen golds and five best in class awards in the last five years.
Today Anne is the Grove Manager for Allpress Olive Groves who have bought Rangihoua and several other brands on Waiheke Island. She is very happy to still be part of the journey of seeing where Waiheke Islands Olive Oil next chapter.
MILENA LOLIC-WILCOX, ITALY – ROMA
Native of Croatia, has lived in Rome, Italy since 2001. Living in Rome made her appreciate all sensory and cultural nuances of Italian food which led her to pursue and obtain qualifications as a Wine Sommelier from Associazone Italiana Sommelier in 2013 followed by Master’s degree in Italian Gastronomic Culture at the Universita degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata” in 2016.
Her olive oil appreciation journey started after joining the Slow Food Rome community in 2016. Milena obtained the title of the Olive Oil Sommelier from L’Associazione Italiana Sommelier dell’olio and is a registered Olive Oil taster (Elenco nazionale dei tecnici ed esperti assaggiatori olio di oliva) since 2017. She has judged table olives at the Italian National table olives competition Monna Oliva organized by UMAO (Unione Mediterranea Assaggiatori Olio) since 2018. She is certified by the Oil Millers course organized by AIPO (association of interregional olive oil producers) in 2020.
She has been a regular olive oil taster for the Slow food “Guida agli Extravergini” since 2018 and has facilitated extra virgin olive oil tasting workshops for visiting students from English speaking countries for Slow Food Rome. Milena hosts the English version of the Olive Oil Drops podcast (www.oliveoildrops.com).
DR WANG WEI, CHINA – HANGZHOU
Dr Wang Wei got his Ph.D. from Zhejiang University in 2008, and currently he works in the School of Biology and Chemical engineering of Zhejiang University of Science and Technology.
He was the creator and as the executive director of The International Centre for Olive Oil Quality Research (ICOOQR), focus on promoting academic cooperation between China ,Australia and Spain in the field of olive oil, to improve Chinese enthusiasm for the consumption of quality olive oil and to promote market share of Australia high quality olive oil in China.
Dr Wang Wei is the head director of Nutrition and health research team of Zhejiang University of Science and Technology. He is as a Ph.D. advisor mainly engaged in functional nutrition and health research. He had finished more than 20 research projects, published more than 100 research papers, and 50 patents for inventions.
Dr Wang Wei Since 2017, he has been as the Judge of AIOA for many times, trained many excellent Judges, and made important contributions to the development of China’s olive industry.
SHANE CUMMINS, AUSTRALIA – WAGGA WAGGA, NSW
Shane picked his first olives in 2000 with long paddock olive rustlers and has been hooked ever since. Shane is a landscaper and paver by trade but his incessant passion is for olives.
Shane has been formally assessing olive oil since 2007. In 2009 Shane completed the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Appreciation and Assessment course. Since 2010 he has been show judging in regional and national competitions including the Australian National Olive Competition, Olives New Zealand, Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria Australian Food Awards, Sydney Fine Food Show, Canberra Olive Oil Show and the Golden Olive Show.
He was the convenor of the ‘Tastebook’ program, a sensory professional development and training initiative in appreciating, describing and understanding how to improve the quality of extra virgin olive oil and table olives.
He has been the head judge of the Australian National Olive competition since 2016 and the Australian International Olive Awards from 2018 to 2022. He sees his responsibility as an advocate for olive oils and olives.
SHARON JAN, AUSTRALIA – SYDNEY
Food Technologist BSc | Licensed Coffee Q Grader.
Sharon “Shaz” Jan has over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry which has allowed her sensory skills to develop. Her professional experience as a food technologist and coffee specialist has involved areas including quality assurance, R&D, food production, processing, implementing and managing the HACCP System for Food Quality and Safety. Shaz has been active on both sides of the sensory table, organizing as well as participating in sensory panels. She has been a licensed Coffee Q Grader since 2011.
Her contributions were recognized when the Australian Specialty Coffee Association awarded her the Eleanora Genovese Woman in Coffee Award in 2018, honouring her long-term contributions and volunteer efforts. Shaz has been actively involved in judging at numerous food competitions since 2006.
Her experience in sensory evaluation and judging has allowed her to transfer seamlessly to olive oil judging where she has participated at RAS NSW Sydney Royal Fine Food Olive Oil Awards since 2015.
DR MARIEM GHARSALLAOUI, TUNISIA – SFAX
Mariem is a researcher at the Olive Tree Institute in Sfax, Tunisia. She has a PhD in Chemistry and a Masters in Chemical Engineering. She is also an expert academic in tasting virgin olive oil (University of Jaén). Mariem has been a researcher at the Institute of the Olive Tree since 2001 and has been responsible for two research projects “Extraction systems and exploiting by-products” and ‘Olive Oil Quality and Voice Recovery’. She is responsible for the national innovation research project ‘New ecological process of olive oil extraction: Qualitative, economic, and environmental impact’.
Mariem is an acclaimed teacher of olive oil extraction systems and refining processes for olive-pomace oils and acid oils for the Master’s degree at the Higher Institute of Biotechnology in Sfax. She also teaches sensory analysis for a Master’s degree at Higher Institute of Technological Studies. Mariem also teaches quality tools for a Master’s degree at Higher Institute of Technological Studies. Mariem has supervised over 50 completed study projects as well as eleven Masters Degrees thesis, five Doctoral Degree thesis and 80 training courses for students. She has participated in 18 scientific paper seminars and is an author and co-author of 15 scientific peer-reviewed papers in international journals. Mariem is a member of the National Chemistry Committee for the revision of the commercial standard for olive oil and pomace olive oil and also a member of the regional Sensitization Oil Mills Operators committee.
Mariem has judged at Olive Japan from 2015 to 2019. She has judged the best olive oil in the competition at the 2016 and 2018 ‘Mon Olivier Festival in Sfax and has been a C’TOVert tasting panel leader. Mariem has run over 50 training days for the production of good quality olive oil. She has also organised and provided training for over 20 workshops and courses for professionals in the field of olive oil. She is a consultant for the accreditation of chemical and sensory analysis laboratories for the Tunisian olive industry.
GERRI NELLIGAN, AUSTRALIA – TANUNDA SA
Having spent seven years emerged in olive industry communications, Gerri formally put on her judging hat in 2015 as an associate judge at the Australian National Olive Competition. Working with some of Australia’s leading olive oil judges, it was a huge learning experience. Since then she’s has grasped every opportunity to taste and evaluate oils, and learn as much as she can about the organoleptic qualities of EVOO.
In 2017 she judged at the Australian International Awards, refining her skills as an associate judge in training while working alongside expert judges including Pablo Canamasas, Toshiya Tada, Shane Cummins and Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne. In 2018 she qualified as a full judge in this competition and has since continued as a regular member of the AIOA judging panel, as well as judging at EVOO competitions in several states.
Gerri is Managing Editor of the Olivegrower & Processor industry publication platform and is currently nurturing her own mini-olive grove on a two-acre property in the Southern Barossa.
DENG YU, CHINA – GANSU
Deng Yu is a professor of the olive, currently working as the vice president of Longnan Academy of Economic Forestry, Gansu Province. He is also the director of the Longnan Olive Research Institute, secretary-general of the Chinese Olive Innovation Strategic Alliance and vice managing director and leader of the China Economic Forest Association’s processing group ‘Olive Specialized Committee’. Deng Hu served as Chairman of Longnan Olive Oil Testing Association and leader of the Longnan Government Quality Award review panel.
For more than 30 years, Deng Yu has been engaged in scientific research and practice in the cultivation and processing of olives, olive product quality and safety and quality analysis of olive oil quality characteristics and olive oil tasting.
Deng Yu has travelled to Greece and Spain to study olive oil planting, processing and oil testing techniques. He has participated in training courses for olive oil sensory analysis at home and abroad. Deng has obtained the Madrid Polytechnic University’s training certificate, Italy’s University of Bologna’s certificate for oil appraisal training and Spain’s Catalonia Institute of Agricultural and Food Technology’s training certificate and chief quality officer certificate. He also served as the judge of China’s first olive oil tasting and appraisal event.
Deng Yu has hosted and participated in the completion of more than 20 ministry, province, and municipal research jobs relating to the olive. He has won 20 provincial and municipal Science and Technology Progress Awards, won 2 national patents, and had more than 40 papers published including 3 SCI papers and 5 monographs on the olive including the International Oil Olive Council (IOC)published ‘World Olive Variety Map’.
Deng Yu has drafted “Virtual Olive Oil Sensory Evaluation Guide (Draft)” and cooperated to complete “Olive Oil Sensory Evaluation System Software”. He has also obtained the National Copyright Administration Soft Book Certificate.
Currently, Deng Yu is leading the analysis and evaluation of olive oil quality of different varieties and different maturities, and building a Chinese (Longnan) olive oil sensory analysis and evaluation laboratory according to international standards. Deng Yu is a highly regarded and influential person in the Chinese olive industry.
ISABELLA OKIS, AUSTRALIA – PERTH, WA
Isabella is based in Western Australia and has been tasting and judging olive oil for over 20 years.
She initially trained under Professor Stan Kailis and Dr Luciano di Giovacchino in 2000-2001 and since then has had training under Judy Ridgeway, Richard Gawel, Paul Vossen, Marc Morain, Gino Russo, Richard Butler and Linda Costa.
In 2013 Isabella completed her Diploma for Tasting Panel Supervisor in accordance with IOOC norms held in Viterbo, Italy and presented by Wenceslao Moreda and Mauro Martelossi.
In the last two years Isabella has been working with Stan Kailis to present refresher olive oil tasting sessions in Perth, WA.
Isabella has been judging at numerous competitions including the Australian Olive Association National competition (since 2013), Olive Japan (since 2016), regional South West Olive Association (head judge since 2010), Perth Royal Show (since 2000 and head judge since 2015) and Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
She harvests fruit from her small 1000 tree grove in the great southern region of Western Australia and produces her award winning Yaribelle Braes brand of extra virgin olive oil.
IMED MEJRI, TUNISIA – BEN AROUS
Imed is an engineer who graduated from the Tunisia’s National Engineering School of Gabes specialising in Chemical Process Engineering.He has had over 19 years experience in the oleicol industry.
In 2002 Imed started working as the Chief Operating Officer at the plant oil refining company Raffinrie Africaine. He has since then achieved great success and is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
He is passionate about the olive industry and has been part of a COI certified tasting panel since 2015.
Imed has participation in dozens of training courses concerning the production, enhancement, sensory analysis and tasting of virgin olive oils.
SARAH ASCIUTTO, AUSTRLIA – ADELAIDE
Sarah is a qualified Olive Oil Sommelier through the ESAO in Spain. She has come from a long line of passionate food lovers, having spent her younger years in a renowned South Australian food producing region, quality and freshness have always been at the fore of her culinary experiences. Growing up in an Italian – Australian household has meant extra virgin olive oil always takes center stage in the Kitchen.
Being involved in her family’s Olive groves in both the Adelaide Hills and Murraylands has allowed her to refine her skills in blending and tasting extra virgin olive oils, as well as working along with a strong South Australian extra virgin olive oil community where her family’s oil is respected and well awarded.
Sarah has completed the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes course and has been involved in judging in Australian competitions since 2018. She thrives on the nuances found between olive varietals and flavours and is currently involved hands on with the blending of varietals and oils for her family grown and operated Rio Vista Olives in the Adelaide hills as well as undertaking the marketing role.
ZHU SHENLONG, CHINA – HANGZHOU
Zhu Shenlong has engaged in the olive industry for more than 20 years. He is currently a member of the Olive Branch of China Economic Forest Association. Zhu Shenlong has extensive experience in the whole olive industry including olive germplasm assessment, olive tree growing and olive oil quality control. In 2019 Zhu Shenlong was invited as an expert to judge Chinese-brands of olive oil on the third olive Festival of Chengdu.
In recent years, Zhu Shenlong has participated in many olive training courses. More specifically he has studied olive oil sensory analysis including the ‘Training course on olive oil sensory analysis and senior qualifier’ jointly organised by Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS) and Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (IRTA) in 2019”. Zhu Shenlong holds the certificate released by ZAAS and IRTA with authorisation from Dr Agusti Romero.
Zhu Shenlong current work focuses on olive oil production, quality control, appropriate growing methods and suitable cultivar assessment in a region high in precipitation in southern China. Traditionally it can be shown that olive trees were hard to be grown in strong acidic soil and rainy regions, however, Zhu Shenlong’s research group have successfully produced extra virgin olive oil for years under these conditions. He is promoting the whole olive industry in such challenging regions like southern China.
DUCCIO MOROZZO DELLA ROCCA, ITALY – ROME
Duccio Morozzo della Rocca is the director and founder of the company Olive Bureau which specialises in international consultancy in olive oil production, olive oil blending, olive project development and olive oil business. Duccio founded Olive Bureau in 2005 in Italy after having completed his master in “Olivicolture and High-Quality Olive Oil” at the Agricultural Faculty of Pisa University.
Duccio works in North and South America, the Mediterranean region, Middle East and Asia. He focuses in the olive oil extraction process, olive tree and olive oil project development, oil profiles and journalism related to olive oil. He specialises in oil blending and does so for private producers and companies from the Americas to Japan.
Duccio has been an IOC official taster since 2007 and he has held the qualification of IOC Panel Leader since 2010. Since 2004 he has participated as a judge in over 38 international olive oil contests in Italy, Japan and Spain. His work has been published in many guide books and online resources.
Duccio is on the list of the official IOC consultants for IOC olive oil projects.
DEBRA WORGAN – AUSTRALIA – BERMAGUI, NSW
Debra trained and participated for many years, as a member of the Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel, the peak chemical and organoleptic testing body based at the NSW Department of Primary Industries Australian Oils Research Laboratory in Wagga.
This will be Debra’s eleventh year judging olive oil. She has judged at the Sydney Olive Oil Show, the Australian Olive Association National Competition, New Zealand Olive Awards, the Canberra Olive Oil Show, the Golden Olive Show and the Australian International Olive Awards.
Debra works as a graphic designer and teacher but her passion for olive oil has seen her undertake regular and ongoing olive oil quality assessment.
THELMA BURNETT – AUSTRALIA – PERTH, WA
Thelma participated in training to taste and judge olive oils soon after she and her husband, Peter, established their olive grove near Margaret River, Western Australia in 1997. Initial training was under Professor Stan Kailis and visiting EVOO experts organised by both the West Australian Olive Council (WAOC) and the (then) Margaret River Olive Industry Association.
While continuing work as a health professional in Perth, Thelma has continually attended training sessions and joined EVOO judging panels for the Perth Royal Show, the WAOC EVOO and Table Olive Competitions and the South West Olive Association competitions. Thelma also participated in the early development of Table Olive judging and awards in Western Australia.
In 2018, Thelma judged at the Australian International Olive Awards in Adelaide and again, in 2020, was a member of the Western Australian AIOA judging panel in Perth. In this extensive long-term experience, she has shared tasting and judging experience with world class judges and, in turn, has developed high level skills in EVOO and Table Olive judging.
Now retired from her health profession, Thelma lives on the family olive farm and is engaged in the annual grove activities, including pruning and harvesting. Most recently, Thelma has engaged with a retired EVOO grower and judge to provide EVOO tasting information and education sessions to community groups that include the Margaret River TAFE Hospitality / Chef trainees and the wider public at the Margaret River Markets and local agricultural field days.
Her hopes for the future include growth of the olive industry with a greater percentage of the population being aware of, and using, Australian EVOO and Table Olives.
DR MAHDI FENDRI, TUNISIA – SFAX
Dr Mahdi Fendri is from Sfax, the largest olive producing province in Tunisia. He comes from an olive growing family where he started to discover the fascinating world of the olive oil in his early childhood.
After completing his studies at the Higher Institute of Agronomy, he completed an International Master degree in Olive Growing and Olive Oil Technology in Spain. Dr Fendri then furthered his research and obtained his PhD in Agricultural Biology from the University of Granada in 2011. He also holds an Expert in Sensory Assessment of Virgin Olive Oils Diploma from the University of Jaen.
Dr Fendri is currently a researcher in food technology and olive oil quality at the Olive Institute in Tunisia. He is presently involved in several national and international projects aiming at enhancing the valorization of local olive oils and better identifying their properties. Prior to this Dr Fendri was a research fellow on two Tunisian and Spanish projects. He has worked as manager of the SGA private Olive Mill in Sfax, Tunisia and has had various other technical and scientific roles in the Tunisian and Spanish olive industry. He has been tasting and training in olive oil in Spain and Tunisia since 2014.
Dr Fendri has participated in several olive oil completions in Tunisia and abroad such as the New York International Olive Oil Competition and the Sol d’ORO International Extra Virgin Olive Oils Competition (Italy). He has judged at the Tunisian national competition ‘The Best Monocultivar Olive Oil’ and at the 1st Tunisian Contest of Local Products in Tunis 2017.
Dr Fendri has extensive achievements in literature and research and development. Since 2008 he has participated in twelve internationally financed R&D projects, has presented in nineteen national and international symposium and scientific meetings, has twenty national and international olive growing and olive oil technology related journal publications/books and has a registered Patent in OEPM-Spain.
Convinced that there are no limits to explore the exiting universe of extra virgin olive oil, he is continuously eager to find out new tasting experiences.
BRIONY LEIBICH, AUSTRALIA – ADELAIDE WA
Briony is a sensory analyst with 17 years of hands-on experience in the beer, wine and food industries. Working with some of the country’s best known and loved food, beer and wine brands, her experience includes managing sensory programs, leading tasting workshops, quality control and new product development.
Briony has been judging olive oil and table olives at state and national competitions since 2014 and has been head judge of the Fleurieu Peninsula Olive Competition. She is an avid promoter and consumer of extra virgin olive oil and enjoys harvesting and processing wild and grove olives from around McLaren Vale with friends.
After working at West End Brewery for 10 years, she has launched her business Flavour Logic which is all about good taste. Services to the food and beverage industry include sensory analysis tools to improve the quality and consistency of products and training staff to improve their tasting skills. She also offers tasting experiences for small groups in private or corporate settings to de-mystify the tasting process.
CAROLYN REID – AUSTRALIA – BOYUP BROOK, WA
Judging experience was gained on the South West Olive Association competition, recently at the Slow Food Swan Valley Olive Festival, attending the Royal Agricultural Show and regional agricultural shows and organizing a local competition.
Since 2017 she has been judging at the WA Olive Council EVOO competition and is now a panel leader. With the WA panel remaining in Perth during COVID restrictions the opportunity arose to judge alongside the AIOC WA panel as Associate, then 2022 as a Judge.
Overseas travel is now providing the opportunity to extend her palate and experience in other countries, together with networking and absorbing information from others within the industry.
ABDELKARIM LAATER, TUNISIA – SFAX
Abdelkarim Laatar is an accredited ‘Head of Panel’ of the International Olive Council authorised Tunisian National Board of Olive Oil, member of the international jury for the Mario Solinas Awards (Madrid, Spain) and Head of Panel for the National Olive Oil Office Awards (Tunisia). Abdelkarim Laatar was Head of Panel at the ‘Festival de l’Olivier de Sfax’ in February 2020.
Abdelkarim Laatar has been a trainer for sensory analysis of olive oil with 37 years of tasting experience and tasting consultancy for the O.N.H (Tunisian National Olive Oil Office). at the National Olive Oil Office Tunisia. He is a member of an experts’ group of the International Olive Council in Madrid for the review of the sensory analysis of olive oil norms.
Abdelkarim Laatar is responsible for the production at the Oil-Mill of Nour Oil Company and olive oil tasting with various companies. He has also helped obtain the ISO 17025 for the sensory analysis of olive oil for the National Olive Oil Office with the goal to install a certified laboratory for the sensory analysis of olive oil.
Abdelkarim Laatar has trained professionals within several workshops in the field of sensory analysis of olive oil. He has a Diploma of ‘Tasting Head of Jury’ (Olio -The Florence School of Olive Oil 1992) and the university diploma ‘Expert Course of Olive Oil Tasting’ from the University of Jaen (Spain 1999).
In 2019 Abdelkarim Laatar was Head of Panel of a Mario Solinas Awards sponsored competition for best extra olive oil in Tunisia. This competition was organized by the National Olive oil Office (ONH).
PETA ZITO, AUSTRALIA – MELBOURNE
Peta is an OliveCare Certified olive oil grower and processor with vertical integration of growing, harvesting, processing, HACCP and marketing.
For the last six years she has regularly tasted and assessed olive oil on a fortnightly basis at Boundary Bend Ltd. in Lara, Victoria with Claudia Guillaume.
Having trained with Stan Kailis and Gino Russo, Peta was part of the inaugural table olive judging team at the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria olive competition. She has judged reliably for the Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards, the AOA and then the AIOA awards.
Peta, a trained nurse with a post grad in midwifery has completed a Post Graduate Diploma of Horticulture, in 2004. She was a partner in Victorian Olive Groves, a business founded in 1997 and located in Bendigo Victoria.
Since concentrating on their family grove, they have regularly been awarded various gold, silver and bronze medals as well as Best in Class awards. Peta has also contract harvested and processed oil for numerous producers who have gone on to consistently win medals for their oils. As a result of the rich Italian culture she married into, Peta has also been pickling olives for over 40 years for family and friends.
DR DANAE LARSEN, NEW ZEALAND – AUCKLAND
Dr Danaé Larsen is a lecturer in the school of Chemical Sciences at The University of Auckland / Waipapa Taumata Rau, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science. Danaé has worked in the food industry in New Zealand and Switzerland as a sensory scientist, as a food sensory researcher in the Faculty of Chemical and Materials Engineering, at the University of Auckland and as a postgraduate research fellow at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Her research and teaching in the food and wine science programmes at the University of Auckland revolves around the sensory science of wine and food, in particular how the association of sensory and chemical qualities of aroma, flavour and texture inform our food and wine preferences and eating patterns. Danaé has several years of experience as a trained panellist for the sensory evaluation of various food and wine products.
AMANDA MACINERNEY, AUSTRALIA – ADELAIDE HILLS SA
Amanda, a committed gastronomer, holds a post-graduate degree in Advanced Studies in Taste from the University of Reims (France) and a Graduate Certificate in Gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu. Nestled in the serene Adelaide Hills of South Australia, she shares a small acreage with her family and a herd of Black Angus cattle. This is where she pens her respected and long-established food/travel blog “Lambs’ Ears and Honey”, and runs Australia’s first online cookbook club.
Driven by intense academic curiosity (and perhaps just a bit of nosiness) Amanda has learned from food experiences that stretch from meeting family noodle makers in a jungle village in Cambodia, to wandering through dairy cow sheds in Bulgaria, to sharing a drink with British food celebrities in the swanky bars of Vancouver, learning about 7th generation soup shops in Istanbul, and eating in Michelin starred restaurants around the world – and she still couldn’t tell you which was her favourite.
A lover of Australian food products and a long-standing devotee of Australian olive oil, Amanda began her journey as an Australian olive oil judge in 2021, and was thrilled when her training wheels came off in 2022.
BROOKE PURDUE, AUSTRALIA – BAROSSA VALLEY SA
Brook began her extra virgin olive oil judging through the Adelaide Royal Show Young Judges competition in 2014. Ever since, she has continued her involvement in olive oil judging as an associate judge at the Australian international Olive awards and as a full judge at the Royal Adelaide Olive Awards.
Brook currently works in the dynamic and exciting Barossa Valley food scene.
2024 Associate Judges
The Australian International Olive Awards competition prides itself on offering a number of ‘Associate Judge’ positions to future judges. These are training positions where associate judges hone their skills, get more experience and learn from the best judges available.
Dr HONGPENG WANG, CHINA – HANGZHOU
Dr. Hongpeng Wang studied Chemistry at the University of Göttingen in Germany for more than 10 years, and currently works in the School of Biology and Chemical engineering of Zhejiang University of Science and Technology.
As a member of Chinese Herbs Testing & Certification Technology Professional Committee (CATCM), he is mainly engaged in the Isolation and structure elucidation of natural products from Chinese medicine and fruits, he has published more than 20 papers on natural products chemistry.
As a member of the Modern Agriculture Professional Committee of Zhejiang Invention Association, he also holds two invention patents about microbial derived active substances.
FIORINA MASTROIANNI – SYDNEY NSW
Fiorina Mastroianni brings passion and a wealth of lived and acquired experience to her role as an Associate olive oil judge. The daughter of southern Italian immigrants, Fiorina grew up in a bi-lingual household near Wollongong in NSW. She is an accomplished cook and cooking teacher and in 2023 trained as an olive oil taster and judge.
Fiorina’s family never strayed far from a traditional Mediterranean diet where olive oil featured daily and abundantly. Her parents both lived and worked on their family owned olive groves in Calabria before migrating to Australia in the late 1950s. Fiorina is a proud advocate and practitioner of Italian language and Calabrian cuisine and traditions.
Fiorina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Italian and social science and a Masters in health policy, and has over 30 years’ experience working the public health sector. She has also studied commercial cookery at TAFE. In the early 2000’s Fiorina partnered with a close friend to establish ‘Tazzina’ cafe and catering business. In 2010 she established ‘An Italian Table’ cooking school, offering southern Italian cooking classes. In 2016 Fiorina left the hospitality sector to care for her parents.
After the COVID years Fiorina realised a long-held dream to train as an olive oil taster and judge, completing the Savantes program, TAFE Sensory Analysis, individualised training with the DPI in Wagga, and a two-day workshop in Sydney, hosted by the International Olive Oil Council. In 2023, Fiorina was an Associate Judge for Olive Oil at the Golden Olive Awards, the NSW Fine Food Awards and at the Hunter Olive Oil Awards.
Yi WU, CHINA – HANGZHOU
Yi is currently affiliated with the College of Biology and Chemical Engineering at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology in Hangzhou, China.
He has amassed a wealth of experience in the field of olive oil tasting, having worked diligently under the guidance of Dr. Wei Wang for a year. During this time, Yi has honed his sensory evaluation skills and gained valuable insights into the nuances of olive oil flavors and qualities.
What sets Yi Wu apart is their dedication to continuous learning and professional development. He has consistently sought to expand their expertise through formal olive industry qualifications and certifications. He consistently demonstrates reliability, punctuality, and a willingness to go above and beyond in their pursuit of excellence. He has ability to work effectively within a team and their commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and fairness.
EMILY JENKE, AUSTRALIA – STRATHALBYN SA
Emily has judged many times over the last 10 years for the Royal Adelaide Olive Awards and Fleurieu Olive Awards. She has a degree in Agribusiness where she studied organoleptic assessment, focusing on wine.
For the last 15 years she has owned and run Talinga Grove, a boutique grove near Strathalbyn, South Australia. In 2009 she won Australia’s best table olive and the business has been successful with being awarded numerous gold, silver and bronze medals. She has recently sold the grove but continues to run the business.
Emily is passionate for the olive industry and showcasing these great olive products. She is proud to be part of the industry, but also in awe of her fellow producers.
RUSSELL TEARLE, NEW ZEALAND – AOTEAROA
Russell is the operations manager for Allpress Olive Groves on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, where they grow, harvest and process their own olives and sell under two brands (Allpress and Number 29).
He has undertaken several olive oil processing and tasting seminars as well as participated in the Australian Olive Association National Conference.
Russell has been undertaking numerous Olives NZ oil tasting seminars and training sessions with the esteemed Margaret Edwards, in preparation for his new role as an associate judge in this year’s Australian International Olive Awards.