Olive oil producers from five states combined to earn 95 awards, exceeding the previous record of 94 set in 2022.
Olive oil producers across the United States are praising a record-high 95 awards at the 2024 NYIOOC Olive Oil Competition.
Farmers and millers from five states combined to win 62 Gold and 33 Silver Awards from 140 entries. It was the second-highest number of U.S. brands submitted to the World Competition, slightly behind the 149 in 2017.
It continues to cement our reputation as a premier producer.- Paul Durant, co-owner, Durant Olive Mill
Only Italian producers submitted more entries and earned more awards at the world’s largest olive oil quality contest.
The unparalleled success of American producers came after a bumper crop in California, where the overwhelming majority of U.S. olive oil is produced.
See Also:The best extra virgin olive oil from the U.S.According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States produced 12,000 tons of olive oil in the 2023/24 crop year. While wet weather across the Golden State relieved the severe drought conditions, the rain also created agronomic and logistical challenges during the harvest.
California Olive Ranch (COR), the largest U.S. olive oil producer, is among this year’s winners.
COR earned a Gold Award and Silver Award for its 100-percent California brands and a Gold Award for its Global Blend, made from 10 percent California olive oil. (Lucini, an Italian extra virgin olive oil owned by COR, also earned two Gold Awards.)
“We are elated to receive these honors,” said Mary Mori, COR’s vice president of quality and research and development. “As one of the most reputable and trusted competitions out there, receiving these awards is always a pause for celebration and a true testament to our commitment to producing great-tasting, high-quality products.”
Mori added that the awards came after a “moderate crop,” praising the work of the company’s farming team for overcoming the main challenges the company faced and ensuring that the olives arrived from the groves to the mills quickly.
See Also:Data Will Define Next 25 Years at California Olive Ranch, CEO Says“The main issue was the heat – the warmer weather wasn’t ideal for picking,” Mori said. As a result, we had to adjust irrigation timing not to cause the fruit to shrivel and dry out.”
“Luckily, these intense temperatures occurred only during the first week of harvest,” she added. “The temperatures cooled significantly, allowing us to go full boar into harvest with little issues.”
The team behind Pasolivo celebrated winning four NYIOOC awards, bringing their total to 36.
According to Olive Oil Times World Rankings data, Pasolivo is the most-awarded U.S. producer in the competition’s 12-year history and the fourth most successful overall.
“It is an honor to continue to win such high accolades each year at this competition,” said general manager Marisa Bloch. “Continuously winning such amazing accolades helps solidify the validity and quality of our brand,” she added. “We continue to show consumers that we are a top producer who continues to bring quality to the table.”
Bloch said Pasolivo enjoyed a bumper 2023/24 harvest, but rain pushed back the original harvest date, resulting in a race against time to harvest the olives while still green.
“Harvest was later due to all of the rain earlier in the year,” she said. “We just have to make sure we don’t push harvest too late, possibly running into the rainy season of the following year.”
California-based producers earned 86 of 95 awards at the NYIOOC, with producers from Arizona, Florida, Oregon and Texas earning the rest.
The most successful producer outside the Golden State was Oregon-based Durant Olive Mill, which earned two Gold Awards and a Silver Award.
“The impact [of winning NYIOOC awards] is greater and greater each year,” said co-owner Paul Durant. “It shows that over the arc of many years and many challenges, we are able to consistently craft high-quality olive oils that our customers have come to rely on. It continues to cement our reputation as a premier producer.”
The pioneering olive oil producer said Oregonian olive farmers had to overcome a significant freeze, which lowered the amount of fruit they could harvest.
“This is the third year in a row that a portion of the crop has been lost,” Durant said. “For the 2024 growing season, we have installed wind machines to mitigate risk and hopefully buy us additional harvest time.”
On the other side of the country, the producers behind 15 Olives celebrated three Silver Awards for extra virgin olive oils produced in Florida and California, the company’s first World Competition recognitions.
“Being awarded in this competition allows us to take a deep breath and enjoy the fruits of our labor,” said Krisi Groce. “We work hard to educate the public on the quality of extra virgin olive oil, and this award backs up what we say.”
The company earned the awards for a pair of Arbequina-based blends and a Frantoio-based blend.
“Our production is currently in Florida and California,” Groce said. “We produce a blend of olive oils directly from our production that we entered into the competition. Our Arbequina olives grow really well here in Florida, and our Tuscan varieties from California are a perfect award-winning blend.”
Groce said 15 Olives enjoyed an exceptional production season in California. As always, the harvest in subtropical Florida presented a range of challenges.
“Florida production has many challenges. We are in a tropical climate – very humid and rainy – and when it comes to harvesting, mosquitos will chew you up,” she said. “We harvest early to mid-August when it’s hot and wet, and the bugs are unforgiving. Having family and friends who want to participate in this process is the key.”
In the southwest, the producers behind Arziona’s first commercial olive oil producer celebrated a Silver Award at the 2024 NYIOOC. This was the company’s third accolade from the competition but the first from solely Arizona-grown olives.
“Many of our locals and visitors will always question what quality of extra virgin olive oil an Arizona producer can make because we are the only ones doing it,” said John Rea, the president of Queen Creek Olive Mill. “This award feels extra special because the product achieved was created from olives grown and milled on our farm in Queen Creek, Arizona.”
Rea said the main challenge he faces to produce award-winning extra virgin olive oil is timing the harvest, which differs from all other U.S. producers due to Arizona’s desert-continental climate.
“Harvest in Arizona is slightly later in the year than in California because of the climate,” he said, “so we have to keep a close eye on the grove through November and early December.”
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