Efkrato Wins with Native Monovarietal at NYIOOC

Efkrato, an organic and small-scale producer on the island of Crete, has earned a Gold Award at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition.

NYIOOC’s recognition of our efforts to produce an exceptional extra virgin olive oil from our traditional local variety called Tsounati makes us really proud.

Andreas Venakis, co-owner

The Greek producer earned the award for an organic medium Tsounati, attributing the success to their cultivation methods and respect for nature.

"We love and respect our olive groves and treat them like small gardens," co-owner Andreas Venakis said. "In return, we enjoy not only the olive fruits but also snails (a famous Cretan delicacy), wild asparagus, herbs and native capers."

Venakis added that their strict cultivation regime prohibits them from producing extra virgin olive oil on a larger scale, so quality becomes paramount.

"NYIOOC’s recognition of our efforts to produce an exceptional extra virgin olive oil from our traditional local variety called Tsounati makes us really proud," he said.

Despite the company's success at the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest, Venakis warned that climate change continues to pose various challenges.

"Climate change has an obvious negative impact on the olive grove and production process, making it harder to achieve the desired quality results," he said.

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is held each spring in New York. 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 Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.