10 Must Try New Zealand Olive Oils
New Zealand
New Zealand has long been celebrated for its wine, now, its olive oils are earning similar acclaim. In just a few decades, the country’s olive industry has grown from a handful of experimental groves into a highly regarded scene, producing extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) that is internationally renowned.
Late Bloomer
Olive trees were first introduced to New Zealand in the early 19th century, but commercial production only took off in the late 1980s, thanks to pioneering growers who recognised the potential of the country’s diverse climates and fertile soils. Today, olive groves flourish from subtropical Northland to the sun-drenched terraces of Central Otago to temperate regions like Wairarapa and Banks Peninsula. Each area imparts its own distinct character to the olives and the delectable oil they yield.
In New Zealand, olives are generally grown on a modest scale, and the boutique olive oil industry thrives on meticulous, small-batch craftsmanship. Olives are typically hand-harvested at peak ripeness and cold-pressed within hours, preserving their fresh, nuanced flavors and high levels of polyphenols. When you combine this artisanal approach with the country’s unique geography and micro-climates, the result is oils that are rich, nuanced, and reflective of local terroir – a true taste of place in every drop.
Allpress Olive Groves’ Koroneiki EVOO
In 1997, Michael Allpress, along-time Waiheke Island local and creator of Allpress Espresso, planted his first olive trees at Rangihoua Estate. He began milling from his own fruit in 2016, and in 2021, purchased Rangihoua Estate along with neighboring olive grove number29. Allpress Olive Groves officially launched later that year.
Today, Allpress Olive Groves is both a producer and a destination, offering tastings, mill tours, seasonal events and luxury holiday homes set among the groves. Their new bistro champions simplicity and seasonality, serving dishes that let their olive oil shine. With a sunny courtyard and pizza kitchen, it’s the perfect spot for long Waiheke afternoons.
Creamy, fruity and spicy, Allpress Olive Groves’ Koroneiki EVOO is milled from hand-harvested olives, delivering a fresh and ripe lift to any dish.
Awanui Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Awanui’s olives are grown on the banks of the Clutha River in Clyde and cold-pressed locally in Central Otago. Owners Michael and Jannette Hope nurture their 25-year-old grove of around 170 mature olive trees (including Barnea, Frantoio, Manzanilla, Ponder, Verdale, Nabili and Leccino), alongside almonds, fruit trees and extensive gardens. Central Otago’s long, hot summers and freezing winters help their olives thrive. Each May and June, the olives are hand-harvested and immediately cold-pressed, producing exceptional EVOO that’s as fresh as it gets.
Awanui’s gold medal-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a rich, flavorful blend of several olive varieties, offering subtle fruity and herbaceous notes, with a gentle peppery finish.
Blue Earth Intense olive oil
Blue Earth began in 1996, when its founders fell in love with a stony river terrace overlooking Te Muna Valley in Martinborough. What started as bare grazing land became a flourishing grove of 550 olive trees, soon followed by a vineyard planted on the advice of winemaker Bill Brink. Today, seven acres of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris vines grow alongside more than 1,100 olive trees. Years of dedication have transformed the land into a thriving estate that now produces over twenty tonnes of olives annually. The name pays tribute to Mike’s Minnesota hometown, where the rich soil appears blue when freshly turned.
Blue Earth’s Intense Blend is a bold EVOO crafted from Manzanillo and Koroneiki olives, delivering powerful flavour that pairs beautifully with hearty dishes. The 2025 vintage earned multiple top awards in New Zealand.
Bracu Estate olive oil
Set among the rolling hills of Bombay, near Auckland, Bracu Estate is a Mediterranean-inspired oasis built on New Zealand’s largest privately owned olive grove. Croatian-born founder Ivan Simunovich planted the first trees in 1999, laying the foundation for what has become a renowned destination for dining and events.
Today, under new ownership, the estate honours Ivan’s legacy, embracing seasonal food, environmental stewardship and unforgettable events. Its 25,000 olive trees produce a variety of award-winning oils and provide a beautiful backdrop for Bracu’s elegant pavilion and acclaimed restaurant.
Bracu Estate combines rich, earthy black truffles with smooth, well-balanced EVOO to create their Truffle Infused Olive Oil. It’s perfect for drizzling over pasta, risotto, roast vegetables, mashed potato or cured meats.
Juno Blood Orange olive oil
Juno Olives, run by Andy and Helen Liley, is a boutique producer of award-winning extra virgin and flavoured olive oils, based in Wairarapa. Their Blood Orange Agrumato Olive Oil uses the traditional Italian co-pressing technique, blending fresh blood oranges with olives during milling, to create a vivid, naturally aromatic oil. Intensely flavorful, it’s sensational with shellfish, white meats, root vegetables, and even desserts like chocolate mousse or ice cream.
Made from Leccino, Frantoio and Moraiolo olives, each small batch is pressed and bottled fresh, capturing the fruit and the season’s essence.
Kakariki olive oil
Seeking a lifestyle change, Ray and Brenda Gregory unexpectedly became olive growers, purchasing Kākāriki Olives in 2018. Specialising in Tuscan Frantoio and Leccino varieties, they now cultivate over 3,200 trees. Nourished by Nelson’s warm, sunny clay soils, the olives are carefully pruned, harvested and pressed on-site within 24 hours, ensuring full control from farm to plate.
Kākāriki Olives’ Chilli Infused EVOO blends fresh olives with locally grown habanero and green chillies, delivering a spritely flavour that builds to a warm, lingering heat.
Loopline olive oil
Based in Opaki, Wairarapa, Loopline Olives produces award-winning, single-variety, Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Its Picual, Picholene, Leccino and Frantoio EVOOs have earned multiple national and international awards, and they have featured in the Official Index of the World’s Best Olive Oils for several years. Owners Stephen and Vivienne – trained olive oil sommeliers – craft each harvest to express both their European heritage and the nuances of the season.
The 2025 Harvest of Loopline Olives’ Picual is an intensely robust oil (305 polyphenols) offering notes of green tomato, freshly cut grass, herbs and artichoke, with well-balanced bitterness and a lingering, peppery finish.
Lot Eight Yuzu olive oil
Lot Eight’s Yuzu Olive Oil is a cold-pressed blend that pairs Wairarapa-grown olives with yuzu, the intensely aromatic citrus revered in Japan for its beautiful fragrance and culinary versatility. Yuzu’s highly perfumed skin is traditionally used in savoury custards, ponzu and raw fish dishes, and Lot Eight captures that delicate vibrancy by pressing the fresh fruit together with their sustainably grown olives. The result is a bright, fragrant oil that elevates everything from salads, ceviche and oysters to vegetable soups and even chocolate mousse. Celebrated with awards in New Zealand and Japan, this oil reflects Lot Eight’s commitment to purity, freshness and thoughtful craftsmanship. Notably, this was the world’s first oil made by pressing yuzu together with olives.
River Grove olive oil
Located along the Ruamahanga River near Masterton in Wairarapa, River Grove is a family-owned business established in 2004 by Steven and Chris Price. The 36-hectare property includes 12 hectares of olives, now totalling around 4,000 trees. Each November, the mature trees are mechanically harvested while younger ones are hand-picked, producing 300–400 litres of certified EVOO. River Grove’s releases are highly awarded, reflecting the care and dedication Steven and Chris put into nurturing their trees and crafting singular, flavourful oils.
The South Grove Blend – a harmonious mix of Frantoio, Koroneiki and Manzanilla – is beautifully balanced, with notes of fresh herbs, almonds, pepper and tomato.
Robinson's Bay olive oil
Founders Chris and Annette Moore have been crafting small-batch olive oil on Banks Peninsula (near Christchurch) since 2006, tending around 1,000 well-established trees, spanning Italian, Spanish, Israeli, Palestinian and Australian varieties. Harvested each June and July with help from friends and family, the olives are pressed into premium EVOO. Alongside their classic range, the grove produces popular garlic and citrus-infused oils, all bottled by hand at the grove.
Robinsons Bay Extra Virgin Olive Oil has repeatedly earned top national honours, winning “New Zealand’s Best” at the NZ Olive Oil Awards in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2023.