Get Educated
The Olive Oil Times Education Lab offers innovative courses and online programs to empower a generation of olive oil experts.
Start learning
The World’s Best Olive Oils 2025
The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is the world’s most prestigious olive oil quality contest. Its annual list of award winners is the definitive guide to the finest extra virgin olive oils of the year.
Discover the 2025 winners
Recent Winners
The Official Guide and the Olive Oil Times World Rankings reveal results in real time as the analyses are completed and confirmed.
Cultivar in the Spotlight
Istarska bjelica
The Istarska bjelica is a highly esteemed olive variety primarily found in the Istrian peninsula. It’s an indigenous variety along the Croatian coast and into some areas of neighboring Italy.
Istarska bjelica oils are often described as having notes of freshly cut grass, almonds and other green vegetation.
Cultivation of the Bjelica olive, a practice rooted in Roman-era Istria, continues to hold such significance that some traditional farming families still equate ‘olive tree’ with ‘Bjelica.’
Did you know?
Crafting an award-winning olive oil takes determination, skill and obsessive attention to detail. Every stage of the process, from harvest to bottle, must be perfectly managed to produce one of the world’s best olive oils.
Fruitness
Every good olive oil needs to have the aroma of fresh fruit. Olives are fruits, after all. Award-winning extra virgin olive oils smell fresh and fruity.
Bitterness
Bitterness indicates the presence of health-promoting compounds like polyphenols and adds complexity and balance to the flavor profile.
Pungency
Pungency is that peppery sensation on the throat caused by the healthy phenolic compounds in fresh, high-quality olive oils.
Harmony
The perfect balance of fruity, bitter and pungent notes indicates a high-quality oil that can elevate the flavors of any dish.
Complexity
Exceptional extra virgin olive oils send us on an olfactory and gustatory journey through a complex bouquet of pleasing sensations.
Persistence
The lingering taste and aroma of well-crafted olive oils give the taster time to reflect on the fruity notes and complex subtleties.
People Behind the Winning Brands
Loyiso Manga
Ubuntu Extra Virgin Olive Oil
South Africa’s first black-owned olive oil brand earned its debut World Competition award for a delicate blend.
“I am excited and proud, and I hope this will inspire all those who dare to dream, especially my brothers and sisters in Africa,” said owner Loyiso Manga. “This is a testament that extra virgin olive oil from South Africa is top-tier and deserves the respect it’s worth.”
World Ranking
The Olive Oil Times World Ranking is a data portal for the world’s top-rated extra virgin olive oil producers and brands.
The ranking is updated in real time with NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition analysis data, compiled and verified by Olive Oil Times.
Real-time ranking of the world's olive oils, verified by Olive Oil Times
The world’s largest and most prestigious olive oil quality competition.
The international publication of record for olive oil news and information.
Innovative courses and online programs to empower a generation of olive oil experts.
Copyright 2025 © NYIOOC