Bay Area’s Frantoio Grove Strike Gold Again

Frantoio Grove from California has won a Gold Award at the 2024 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's largest olive oil quality contest.

Tucked away among the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco Bay, the producer earned its seventh World Competition accolade for an organic medium-intensity Frantoio.

Owner Patrick Martin was left speechless at the news. The company overcame the consequences of extreme weather conditions to harvest 70 tons of Frantoio olives from its 3,500-tree grove using traditional methods in the 2023/24 crop year.

"The extreme rainfall events in our region have led to perfect conditions for increased fungal pressure," Martin said. "The agronomists recommended fungicides and NPK [fertilizer]; we opted for a more nuanced approach following the principles of regenerative agriculture."

"In one season, we have achieved nearly complete control of one fungal pathogen and promising results with the other," he added.

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is the world's preeminent olive oil quality contest. Its annual list of award winners is the authoritative guide to the world's best olive oils and the dedicated producers who craft them.

The complete list of winners can be viewed in the Official Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.