Olivicola Cassetta Awarded Gold for Organic Ortice

Olivicola Cassetta from Italy has an award at the 2023 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's largest olive oil quality contest.

This result rewards our dedication to the cultivation of the olive tree and the production of excellent organic monovarietal oils.

Sebastiano Cassetta, co-owner

The Campania-based producer earned a Gold Award for an organic medium Ortice. "Having achieved victory in one of the most prestigious oil competitions in the world is a source of pride for us," co-owner Sebastiano Cassetta said.

"This result rewards our dedication to the cultivation of the olive tree and the production of excellent organic monovarietal oils," he added.

In the 2022/23 crop year, Olivicola Cassetta produced 20 tons of organic extra virgin olive oil. As always, Cassetta said completing the harvest promptly while the fruit was at the ideal stage of ripeness was the company's main challenge.

"The most difficult challenge was to speed up the harvest, in that short period in which there is the right degree of ripeness which allows us to obtain the maximum quality of the product," he said.

"By quality, we mean a good level of fruitiness, a good content of polyphenols and the right balance between spicy and bitterness," Cassetta added.

Held each spring in New York, the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is the world's 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 in the Official Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.