OPG Buntić Wins Gold Award for Organic Blend

Croatian producer OPG Buntić has won a Gold Award at the 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

We as owners and manufacturers try to be objective toward our product and it is a great confirmation for us to receive this award. It tells us that our product is really the way we want it to be.

Damir Buntić, owner

In the 2020/21 crop year, the company produced 1,100 liters of organic extra virgin olive oil in Dalmatia using traditional methods. OPG Buntić earned the Gold Award for an organic medium blend.

"It is a great pleasure when our efforts, sweat and blood are not spilled in vain," owner Damir Buntić said. "We as owners and manufacturers try to be objective toward our product and it is a great confirmation for us to receive this award. It tells us that our product is really the way we want it to be."

Despite his success this year, Buntić said that producing high-quality olive oil continues to be a challenge, with unpredictable climatic events causing him the most problems in 2020.

"The biggest challenges are related to climate change," he said. "It is becoming an increasing problem to produce quality olives, especially in an organic way. We are very pleased to continue to be able to produce quality olive oil that is recognized by our customers."

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, held each spring in New York, 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.