Greek olive oil producers are determined to take their rightful place on the world stage. At the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC), the world’s largest and most prestigious olive oil competition, that took place in May 2019, an international jury of 18 expert tasters evaluated 903 olive oils from 26 countries, and 35 Greek EVOOs earned a coveted spot as one of the world’s best. In fact, the judges awarded 18 of them Gold Award status, and 17 of them Silver Award status.
In this challenging harvest year for many olive oil-producing countries, Greece has proved it is still a force to be reckoned with. Fresh from their win, Greek producers are acknowledging the difficult weather conditions of the last year, while also crediting the accessibility of rapidly evolving technology and scientific discoveries, as well as the passion for quality and the combination of accumulated knowledge, clear goal-setting, and strategic planning among the contributing factors to the success of Greek EVOOs.