Laconian Legacy Takes Gold with Athinolia Monovarietal

Greek producer Laconian Legacy has won its first-ever Gold Award at the 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

Winning at the NYIOOC was a real threshold for us... The seal of NYIOOC with the Gold Award is definitely a certification that consumers care about regarding the quality of our olive oil. We entered a new era and we will continue working towards these high standards.

Metaxia Retzeka, owner

The company produces extra virgin olive oil in Lakonia using traditional methods. Laconian Legacy earned the Gold Award for its medium Athinolia.

"Winning at the NYIOOC was a real threshold for us," owner Metaxia Retzeka said. "We managed to combine the high concentration of polyphenols with a great taste rating."

"The seal of NYIOOC with the Gold Award is definitely a certification that consumers care about regarding the quality of our olive oil," she added. "We entered a new era and we will continue working towards these high standards."

For the producers behind Laconian Legacy, their victory is all the more gratifying after the difficult climatic conditions they have faced over the past few seasons.

"2020 was a really difficult year for olive cultivation in Greece," Retzeka said. "The family olive groves are located in the south of Peloponnese, which has suffered the last years from extended drought and high temperatures."

"These conditions, especially during blossom, resulted in very low yield," she added. "Despite that, we managed to deliver high-quality olive oil."

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition 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.