Tastebook® EVOO Sensory Training 2026 Series 2
November 13 @ 9:00 am
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.
2026 Series 2 – Award Winning oils
Our 2026 Tastebook® Series 2 showcases a selection of award-winning oils from the 2026 Australian International Olive Awards. Explore a range of gold, silver and bronze medal-winning extra virgin olive oils to discover the differences in quality, appreciate the unique characteristics of each oil and experience some of the very best Australian and international producers have to offer.
If you are a producer, this is a great opportunity to benchmark your oils against those that have come out on top. If you are an olive enthusiast, this will help you identify what characteristics make for a top quality oil.
The Tasting Pack
You will receive a curated EVOO Tasting Pack of six extra virgin olive oils (from the 2026 harvest), delivered to your door, judge comments from the Australian International Olive Awards for each oil, as well as a video link from Trudie showing you how to improve your tasting technique. This kit is designed to be a self-contained learning tool, featuring a selection of oils and sealed comments sheets for each sample to help you benchmark your skills against the professional judges.
This at-home tasting kit has been created 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.
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 13 November 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 November 23. Note – the event date for this course does not mean that is the day this course is being held – it is when the items will start being be dispatched.
- 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