Melbourne Programme
19-20 March 2026
Holiday Inn Hotel, 10-14 Centre Road, Melbourne Airport, Victoria 3045
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19 March |
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9.00am-9.15am |
Welcome to Savantes – Simon Field |
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9.15am-10.00am |
Alphabet of Aroma Participants ‘switch on’ with an exercise involving the description of a range of aromas associated with extra virgin olive oils. |
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10.00am-10.45am |
Discussion on Olive Oil Markets around the World An update and forum on olive oil market trends around the world |
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10.45am-11.30am |
The Flavour Equation – Emotion, Aroma, Taste Introduction to Olive Oil Profiling Using the Savantes Savourgram Using the Basic and Advanced Savourgrams Explaining the new Savantes tasting format, comparing it with technical tasting, and refreshing how we taste, describe flavours and develop a taste vocabulary |
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11.30am-11.45am |
Break |
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11.45am-12.00pm |
Compliance, International Quality Standards and Defects in Olive Oil An overview and update on the ever changing international and national quality specifications. Familiarisation with different grades of olive oil and detecting defects |
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12.00pm-1.00pm |
Profiling the Range of Styles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the Market Introducing the main styles of extra virgin olive oil – delicate to robust |
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1.00pm-1.45pm |
Lunch |
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1.45pm-2.45pm |
Exploring the Many Specific Flavour Characteristics of Extra Virgin Olive Oils Exploring the range of flavours found in extra virgin olive oils |
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2.45pm-3.00pm |
Break |
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3.00pm-4.00pm |
Profiling Culinary and Health Attributes of Olive Oil How Profiling is indicative of the nutritional, health and culinary characteristics of extra virgin olive oil |
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4.00pm-5.00pm |
Tasting Different Varietals of Olive Oils from Around the World A tour of the main olive oil producing regions round the world |
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20 March |
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9.00am-10.30am |
Savantes Review Skill Test An opportunity for participants to appreciate their personal tasting ability |
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10.45am-11.30pm |
Variation in Varietals Tasting extra virgin olive oils from different varieties |
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11.30am-12.00pm |
Economics and Blending How blending is used to achieve particular flavours and price points |
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12.00pm-1.00pm |
Using Profiling to Blend for The Market - Group Work Participants blend an extra virgin olive oil to meet their own market brief covering style, flavour and price point. The blended oils are tasted by the class to determine whether they meet the briefs |
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1.00pm-1.45pm |
Lunch |
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1.45pm-3.00pm |
Analysing Varietals in a Blend by Profiling - Group Work Participants try to determine by taste the proportion of varietals in a blended extra virgin olive oil and then reproduce the blend. |
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3.00pm-3.15pm |
Break |
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3.15pm-4.15pm |
Profiling Savante Participant’s Own Olive Oils Olive oils brought by participants are evaluated in blind tasting by the class |
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4.15pm-5.00pm |
Questions and Answers Presentation of Certificates for Savantes completing the Course – Simon Field |