Ecologica La Olivilla’s Picual Wins Again

Spanish producer Ecologica La Olivilla has won its third consecutive Gold Award at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition.

I feel a deep satisfaction and joy for such an important international recognition. The award confirms the path we have to follow in order to offer our customers the best quality.

Juan Ignacio Valdés Alcocer, CEO

The Andalusian producer was awarded for its Dehesa de la Sabina brand, an organic medium Picual, at the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest. The monovarietal was previously awarded in 2021 and 2020.

"I feel a deep satisfaction and joy for such an important international recognition," said Juan Ignacio Valdés Alcocer, the company's chief executive. "The award confirms the path we have to follow in order to offer our customers the best quality."

The producer added that a dry year and erratic temperatures created plenty of challenges during the harvest.

"Due to the drought we are suffering in Spain, the trees are in a kind of hydric stress that tends to generate a false ripening and makes it difficult to choose the optimum moment [to harvest]," Valdés said.

"Temperatures also were really high during the harvest and hence cold extraction is more difficult," he added. "The optimum moment arrived very fast."

Despite these challenges, Ecologica La Olivilla produced 50,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil in 2021/22 using traditional methods.

Dehesa de la Sabina will once again be listed in the Official Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils, an annual listing of award winners considered the authoritative guide to the year's best extra virgin olive oils.