OPG Utla Awarded Gold at NYIOOC

OPG Utla from Croatia has won a Gold Award at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

"[This award] is proof of the quality we thrive on as well as our hard work and endless respect for our olives," said Branko Jud, the owner of OPG Utla. "It makes us very proud to receive recognition for indigenous Croatian varieties as they are still not well known. And of course, each award gives us an incentive to continue our work."

OPG Utla won a Gold Award for its Utla Limited Edition, a medium blend.

"Every harvest is challenging in its own way," Jud told Olive Oil Times when asked about the 2021/22 harvest season. "So was last years harvest with challenges such as temperature stress and drought. Our focus is always on overcoming the challenges as there will always be some. Taking possible precautionary steps and controlling the process in the best way we can is our only option."

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, held each spring in New York, is the world's largest and most prestigious olive oil contest and 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.