OPG Neven Kovačić Awarded Gold in New York

OPG Neven Kovačić from Croatia has won a Gold Award at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition.

The company earned the industry's most coveted quality award for its Sise brand, an organic medium-intensity blend made with Oblica, Coratina and Lastovka olives.

"This is a beautiful experience and a big success for our company," owner Neven Kovačić said. "This award is a big motivation for the future."

In the 2021/22 crop year, the company produced 520 liters of extra virgin olive oil from its 483 trees located near the coastal city of Split, in southern Dalmatia.

As with many other producers in the region, Kovačić cited the climate as the main challenge he faced during the crop year.

"In our region, we had a drought, which reduced the harvest but did not affect quality," he said.

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