San Miguel Olive Farm Wins Gold Again at NYIOOC

San Miguel Olive Farm from the United States has won two Gold Awards at the 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

The email of congratulations brought tears to our eyes when we saw the two Gold Awards for hard work we will never see again. But the awards are there to remind us forever.

Richard and Myrna Meisler, co-owners

The company produces extra virgin olive oil in Paso Robles, California, from a blend of olives using traditional methods. San Miguel Olive Farm won the two Gold Awards for its Tuscan Gold Eleganza Elite brand, a robust blend, and its Tuscan Gold Paradiso, a medium blend.

"Another successful year, winning is the most amazing feeling," co-owners Richard and Myrna Meisler said. "When the competition opened, we mailed in our oil. So it seemed a lot longer for us. The email of congratulations brought tears to our eyes when we saw the two Gold Awards—hard work we will never see again. But the awards are there to remind us forever."

The couple added that this year's awards come after a particularly small harvest for them and many other farmers in California.

"We had very little product. Most of the olives were smaller than usual," the Meislers said. "Some varieties did not produce anything. Many of our trees were baron or just pinhead size."

"They were not easy to harvest and took much longer harvest," the couple added. "We've had some similar years. 2014 gave us nothing. This past year, we believe was Mother Nature playing with the farmer."

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.