Tastebook® EVOO Sensory Training
May 25 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
As a grower, your work in the grove culminates in the complex profile of your oil. But do you know how to truly appreciate the results?
This training opportunity is designed specifically for new and experienced olive industry participants who want to deepen their understanding of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) by focusing on the positive sensory characteristics that define a premium product.
This guided at-home tasting workshop is led by Trudie Michels, the highly acclaimed Event Convenor and Chief Steward of the Australian International Olive Awards. A professional assessor of extra virgin olive oil since 2003, Trudie brings over two decades of sensory expertise to this training.
The Sensory Calibration Kit
Every registrant will receive a curated EVOO Tasting Pack delivered to their door. Designed as a standalone tool, this kit allows participants to progress through the material at their own convenience. The training includes:
- A Selection of Oils: Hand-picked EVOO samples representing different cultivars and styles
- Expert Feedback Sheets: Each sample comes with a sealed “Master Taster’s Profile.” These notes allow you to compare your own tasting experience and notes with a professional benchmark for each oil in real-time, helping you calibrate your palate and understand exactly what to look for in your own oils.
- Tasting Technique: We’ll email you a link to a video on professional EVOO tasting (internet access required).
Training Focus: Detecting Excellence
Learn to identify the pillars of high-quality EVOO:
- Fruitiness: Clarity, Freshness and intensity, green, spice, floral, tropical
- Bitterness, Pungency: Balance
- Mouthfeel and texture: Attractive or harsh
- Length, persistence and finish: long and luscious or disappears quickly?
- Harmony and complexity
Cost
AOA members: $125 inc GST, Non-members: $150 inc GST. Registrations close 15 May 2026.
Scroll below to purchase tickets.
Essential Information for Registrants
- Location: This training is limited to Australian-based participants only.
- Course Confirmation: This training requires 10 participants to proceed; otherwise, a full refund will be provided.
- Delivery Timeline: Your tasting kit (samples and feedback notes) will be dispatched starting May 25.
- Time Investment – If completed in one session, the training should take no longer than one hour.
- Immediate Care: To prevent oxidation, store your unopened kit in a cool, dark cupboard immediately upon arrival. Do not open the samples until the start of the training.
About Tastebook®
If you haven’t participated before, Tastebook® is the Australian Olive Association’s premier sensory training platform. This program provides the palate calibration and sensory experience needed to understand and appreciate all things olives. By tasting and evaluating a range of EVOO and table olives, you will learn to accurately describe characteristics and gain the insights needed to push your products toward industry-leading quality. Learn more about Tastebook® here