OPG Lucio Wins 2 Gold Awards at NYIOOC

Croatian producer OPG Lucio has won two Gold Awards at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

Situated on the island of Šolta, the company earned the two awards for a medium blend of Oblica and Levantinka olives and a medium Levantinka.

Owner Dafne Ružić said called the two awards a "great achievement," adding the results made her very proud and encouraged for future harvests.

"The feeling is indescribable," she told Olive Oil Times. "We are participating for the first time and then two awards. We are immensely happy and grateful to the olive trees that give us back our hard work and love."

In the 2021/22 crop year, OPG Lucio produced 200 liters of extra virgin olive oil using traditional methods. Like many other producers on the island, Ružić said the 2021 harvest had come with plenty of challenges.

"We did not have enough rain this year creating a need to water our trees frequently," she said. "There were also more insects than usual."

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 in the Official Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.