Oro del Desierto Extends NYIOOC Winning Streak

Spanish producer Oro del Desierto has won two Gold Awards at the 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

We are so happy with the results. We have continued to have consistent, positive results since 2014 at this competition. Nevertheless, we'll continue to try to give our best every year.

Rafael Alonso, owner

In the 2020/21 crop year, the company produced 250,000 liters of organic extra virgin olive oil in Andalusia from a blend of olives using traditional methods. Oro del Desierto won the Gold Awards for its organic medium Picual and Organic Couopage, a delicate blend.

"We are so happy with the results. We have continued to have consistent, positive results since 2014 at this competition," owner Rafael Alonso said. "Nevertheless, we'll continue to try to give our best every year."

Alonso said the Covid-19 pandemic and erratic weather presented plenty of challenges for his team in 2020, making the company's achievement all the more remarkable.

"It was a challenging year, not only due to the pandemic situation but the weather too," he said. "We struggled to maintain a good rhythm while harvesting as a result."

"Anyway, we did our best to select and produce the best quality extra virgin olive oil, as we do every year," Alonso added. "It's always a challenge, especially in our region, which is the only desert in all of Europe."

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, held each spring, 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.