Spanish Oaks Ranch Triumphs at NYIOOC With 3 Awards

Spanish Oaks Ranch from the United States has won two Gold Awards and a Silver Award at the 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

We are just thrilled to win two Gold Awards and a Silver this year. We know we're really getting it right when we win awards in such a prestigious international competition year after year.

Sam Israelit co-owner

The company produces extra virgin olive oil in San Luis Obispo County, California, from a blend of olives using traditional methods.

Spanish Oaks Ranch earned the two Gold Awards for its medium Italian Blend and medium Picual. The company won the Silver Award for a medium Arbequina.

"We are just thrilled to win two Gold Awards and a Silver this year," co-owner Sam Israelit said. "We know we're really getting it right when we win awards in such a prestigious international competition year after year. Winning at the NYIOOC lets our customers feel confident that they are buying some of the best olive oil produced in the world."

For the producers behind Spanish Oaks Ranch, these awards cap off an otherwise challenging year, including a nervy end to the 2020 harvest.

"In many ways, the beauty and peace at the ranch was a respite from the difficult times of 2020," Israelit said. "However, we did struggle with the timing of our harvest this year."

"The olives were ripening later than usual and the nights were getting frosty," he added. "It was a gamble waiting for the fruit to ripen but we're glad we did – it resulted in superb oils this year."

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.