Leonard Bettio along with his wife Imogen have just enjoyed their first season as producers of EVOO from their olive grove situated on a gentle slope of sandy loam over limestone east of the Adelaide Hills along the banks of the Murray River in Woodlane South Australia. Leonard has been working hard to harness the wisdom and experience of their grove’s previous custodian, a gentleman in his 70s originally from the Le Marche province of Italy. Working in closely with his family who own a small 2 phase Pieralisi mill situated just 5 minutes down the road, Leonard and Imogen were encouraged to receive a gold medal in 2017 for their provenance blend, as well as silver for two of their varietals in the Australian International Olive Awards.
Along with his sister Sarah Asciutto (also an Associate Savante) Leonard enjoyed the privilege of judging the 2017 Fleurieu Food Olive Awards in the company of many experienced tasters, producers, and long time supporters of the Australian olive industry. With a strong thirst for more knowledge and a passion for the variety of styles and methods that has gone before him, Leonard is honoured to be an Associate Savante and looks forward to continuous learning and improvement through working hand in hand with master millers and producers from around the world, and applying that wisdom to the unique soil and climate of his grove. His vision is to grow the love and consumption of high quality EVOO and Olive Oils throughout Australia and the world.