New Durbanville Hills Olive Oil helps fund the community projects

The Durbanville Hills Extra Virgin Olive Oil is harvested from a 6 ha olive grove at the Durbanville Hills cellar and is produced in partnership with award-winning olive oil producer and neighbour, Hillcrest.

Income from sales goes directly to the Durbanville Hills Workers’ Trust, established in 2000 to improve the quality of life of the workers and their children on surrounding farms. A number of community projects, mainly in the areas of education and skills development, have been put in place. In recognition of the outstanding work the cellar has been doing in this regard it received the Ethical Award at the 2011 The Drinks Business Awards.

Durbanville Hills MD Albert Gerber says the cellar is committed to offering workers and their families opportunities aimed at enriching their lives.

“We strive to extend the scope of projects that directly benefit the community and look to finding innovative ways of raising funds. The olive oil will not only generate income for the Trust, but also showcases the rich diversity that the Durbanville area can offer along with award-winning wines. And it is with great pride that we are able to add this exceptional olive oil to our Durbanville Hills portfolio.”

With its Mediterranean climate of warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool wet winters, the Durbanville area is very well suited to the growing of olives. The ocean-facing olive groves lie up to 300m above sea level and are cooled by the afternoon sea breeze from the Atlantic.

The cellar’s oil is a blend of mainly Mission, Leccino and Frontoio olives and is natural and unrefined. Rich and tangy, the oil has a distinctive peppery aftertaste.

The Durbanville Hills Extra Virgin Olive Oil is available from the cellar at R75 for 500 ml.