Preserving Tradition Yields NYIOOC Award for Natura Rodos

Natura Rodos from Greece has triumphed for the third time in four years at the 2023 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition.

Winning the NYIOOC while doing our best to preserve traditional olive oil production methods gives a tremendous joy.

Kallas Savvas, owner

The Rodos-based producer earned a Gold Award for its Kallas Natural Products brand, a medium Koroneiki. The brand previously earned awards in 2020 and 2022.

"Winning the NYIOOC while doing our best to preserve traditional olive oil production methods gives a tremendous joy," owner Kallas Savvas said.

"We feel very proud for continuing the family's history (three generations) while keeping our standards at the highest level," he added. "Being a winner for the third time at NYIOOC creates a great commitment for us."

In the 2022/23 crop year, Natura Roda produced 4,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil using traditional methods. Still, Savvas said he had to harvest quickly to avoid damage from heat and pests.

"Because of the high temperatures, we proceeded quickly to the harvest to protect the production from the diseases," he said. "As it turned out, it was a wise decision."

Held each spring in New York, the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition 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.