Agricola Pobeña Wins 3 Gold Awards at World Competition

Chilean producer Agricola Pobeña has won three Gold Awards at the 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

We are proud to have achieved three Gold Awards this year at the NYIOOC... These awards confirm that we have been doing a good job over the years and motivate us to continue being focused on high quality.

Jose Reyes, commercial manager

In the 2019/20 crop year, the company produced 500,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil in the O'Higgins region from Coratina and Picual olives using traditional methods. Agricola Pobeña earned the Gold Awards for its medium Coratina, medium Picual and a medium blend, all of which are sold under the Alonso brand.

"We are proud to have achieved three Gold Awards this year at the NYIOOC," commercial manager Jose Reyes said. "This is a happy moment for the entire team, especially after the hard times we all are living due to the pandemic. These awards confirm that we have been doing a good job over the years and motivate us to continue being focused on high quality."

Despite having a slightly smaller harvest in 2020 than they did in 2019, Reyes said that quality had been as high as ever. However, he worries that Chile's ongoing drought will continue to be a challenge for the company moving forward.

"The big challenge that we are having in the last few years is the drought that is affecting our country," he said. "This forces us to manage the water that we have in the best way."

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, held each spring in New York, is the world's largest and most prestigious olive oil contest. Its annual listing of award winners is considered the authoritative guide to the year’s best extra virgin olive oils.

The complete list of winners can be viewed on the Official Index of the World's Best Olive Oils.