BITES

From September 3 to 8, the South West will be all about food, wine...and cinema.

The inaugural CinefestOZ is a celebration of the longstanding French connection of Geographe Bay and the Margaret River wine region.

The event combines an Australian/French film festival with a celebration of French culture, food and wine.

Twelve French and Australian films will screen at Ace Cinemas in Busselton over the five-day period and a French gastronomique lunch will be held at Yallingup's Cape Lodge on September 5.

It will include a five-course tasting menu with a selection of French and French-influenced Margaret River wines.

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The West Australian Olive Council table olive competition showcased the diversity of players and products emerging in the WA table olive industry this week.

Boddington-based Dwarda Ridge Estate and Fremantle-based Don Vica won the best of show in the 2008 competition.

Dwarda Ridge Estate won gold and best WA table olive for a lye-treated green Spanish style Manzanillo, and Don Vica won gold and best of show in the flavoured or spiced class for its Chalkidikis olives. The other gold medal went to Merrick and Sons of York for a kalamata tapenade.

There were 26 entries in six classes: kalamata; naturally black, excluding kalamata; green Spanish style; green Sicilian style, brine treated; flavoured or spiced; olive pastes and tapenades.

In each class, judges evaluated attributes such as flavour (bitterness, saltiness and acidity), aroma, appearance, texture and taste.