Blue Earth Olive Oil
Blue Earth Olive Oil is a family-owned producer located on an old river terrace overlooking Te Muna Valley in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand's North Island. The estate was established in 1996 when the family first discovered the bare grazing land with its stony soils, gentle north-facing slope, and access to the crystal-clear water of the Ruakokoputuna River. They began by planting 550 olive trees and now maintain more than 1100 trees in their olive grove.
The name "Blue Earth" is an affectionate nod to Mike's hometown in southern Minnesota and the farm he grew up on, where the soil is so rich and dark it appears blue when turned by a plough. The New Zealand soil is the opposite—stony, dry, and healthy but not fertile—which proves ideal for producing premium olive oils that have won numerous national and international awards.
Blue Earth Estate also operates a vineyard of seven acres, mostly Pinot Noir with some Pinot Noir Gris. The family was persuaded to plant the vineyard by pioneering Martinborough winemaker Bill Brink of Walnut Ridge. They initially sold their grapes to Martinborough Vineyard, and from 2010, they produced The Elder Pinot wines. They now share their wines with customers as Blue Earth Estate wines.
The family harvests more than twenty tons of olives annually and adheres rigorously to sustainable practices, paying close attention to the health of their trees. They typically press their olives within 24 hours of picking and store the oils in their wine cellar to guarantee maximum freshness. Their olive varieties include Barnea (Israeli), Manzanillo (Spanish), Frantoio (Italian), Leccino (Italian), and Koroneiki (Greek).
Blue Earth Olive Oils are rich, textured, and vibrant. The oils are suitable for both cooking and finishing applications—used for swirling on soup, roasting vegetables, making sauces, dressing salads, drizzling over barbecued or roasted meat, and even making muesli. All their olive oils exceed the international and New Zealand requirements to be certified as extra virgin olive oils.
The product range includes Classic Blend, Intense Blend, Koroneiki, and Tuscan Blend, available in 250ml and 1 litre bottles. In 2022, their olive grove and vineyard were featured on New Zealand's long-running television programme Country Calendar. Visitors are welcome to tour the vineyard and olive grove.
