Dalmatia’s OPG Uroda Wins Gold in World Competition

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

Winning this award feels fantastic, it's like we have climbed Mount Everest. This is a huge step forward for OPG Uroda. After winning two domestic gold medals, winning Gold at the 2021 NYIOOC is our window to the world.

Kresimir Uroda, owner

In the 2020/21 crop year, the company produced 500 liters of extra virgin olive oil in Dalmatia from Leccino, Oblica, Levantinka and Lastovka olives using traditional methods. OPG Uroda earned the Gold Award for its medium blend.

"Winning this award feels fantastic, it's like we have climbed Mount Everest," owner Kresmir Uroda said. "This is a huge step forward for OPG Uroda. After winning two domestic gold medals, winning Gold at the 2021 NYIOOC is our window to the world."

The producer added that 2020 had been a mixed bag, with most of his olive varieties faring well through the hot and dry summer but one local olive type doing poorly.

"We had problems with the indigenous variety Oblica due to the long, dry summer, so its yield was lower," Uroda said. "The remaining three varieties – Leccino, Lastovka and Levantinka – tolerate drought better, so the harvest was not lacking.

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.