Wine shows can produce results that border on the incredulous, but Joe Grilli must be delighted with the judges of the olive oil classes at the recent 2001 Sydney Royal Easter Show. First, second and third prizes in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil class were awarded to the Joseph Foothills Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the Joseph First Run Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Joseph Cold Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil respectively, giving Joe and Dina Grilla of Primo Estate a clean sweep in what they describe as ‘Australia’s premier awards’ for olive oils. The cellar door prices for the oils are $26 for the Foothhills (375 ml), $28 for the First Run (750 ml) and $15 for the Cold Press (375 ml). I’m not at all surprised to see Joe Grilli setting the standards in his ‘second’ industry.
