who are we?

ilove extra virgin olive oil is produced by Wairarapa Olives Ltd, owned by Margaret and Mike Hanson and Helen and John Meehan. We have olive groves in Martinborough, the wine village situated in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand.

John and Helen own Olivo, the oldest olive grove in the district. The majestic olive trees are on a small plain on the outskirts of the wine village and are nearly 20 years old. Their oil has won awards at a national level since 2003. They host many visitors to their grove throughout the year showcasing their extra virgin and infused olive oils in a purpose built tasting room set amongst beautiful gardens.

Margaret and Mike planted their grove beside their boutique vineyard, on the old stony terraces of the Ruakokapatuna River. The setting of their olive grove is spectacular with elevated views down the river valley, reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. Their trees are 10 years old and thrive in the stony soil that produces top quality pinot noir.

Our groves are typical of olive groves in New Zealand each with just over a 1,000 trees. Small enough to ensure we can give them the attention that is needed to produce superb oil, but big enough to produce more oil than we can sell in New Zealand.

So we have joined forces to create ilove extra virgin olive oil. To make sure we can supply enough ilove extra virgin olive oil, we combine some of the best of our fruit with carefully selected fruit from a small number of other local growers to deliver the best extra virgin olive oil New Zealand can provide to the world. When we say "the best" we mean it - this is an olive oil for finishing fine food rather than for cooking.

Martinborough is known for its superb wines, in particular its pinot noir. New Zealand pinot noirs, in fact New Zealand wines in general, have demonstrated to the world that the New Zealand climate and land characteristics deliver an exceptional taste - olive oil is proving to have these same attributes. When we combine this with a passionate commitment to quality, the results put the ilove olive oil in a class by itself.

If you are visiting New Zealand, come and see us. We would love to introduce you to the trees that create ilove olive oil.