Western Cape Olive Oil

The Western Cape region of South Africa is the principal olive growing region in the country, with over 90% of olive oil production taking place here. Agriculture in this region benefits from the lush valleys and foothills below the mountain ranges that make up the Cape Fold Belt. However, large scale production in the Western Cape was quite limited until the 1990s when Giuliano Bertrand founded Morgenster Estate. Bertrand partnered with the Olive Oil Research Institute of Italy in order to import some of the most renowned olive tree varieties into South Africa. From these trees he established an olive tree nursery with the goal of expanding the local olive industry. Today this nursery is credited as the source for 90% of all cultivars farmed in South Africa. For their signature product, Morgenster Estate blends oils from several different Italian cultivars, including Frantoio, Coratina, Nocellara, Peranzana, Don Carlo, and Leccino.