Producer Behind Villa Gaspar Celebrates Late Father With NYIOOC Win

Spanish producer Villa Gaspar has won its first-ever Gold Award at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

Situated in olive oil-soaked Andalusia, the company produced 2,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil using traditional methods in the 2021/22 crop year from the iconic Picual variety.

"We feel very proud," co-owner Jose Anguis said. "To produce one of the world’s best extra virgin olive oils in our second year is a remarkable achievement."

"But we feel grateful above all," he added. "Villa Gaspar was born after the death of my father, Gaspar. The NYIOOC announced the award on the second anniversary of his death. This isn't a coincidence. I’m sure my father is helping us produce this wonderful elixir."

Along with the personal significance of the recognition, Anguis added that the challenges faced by the company throughout the harvest also added to his feeling of gratification.

"The biggest challenge was the drought, which diminished the production and made it more difficult to achieve excellent olive oil. We had to pick the olives that were in better shape one by one to guarantee the highest quality."

"Also, managing everything from the distance was challenging (I live in NYC)," he added. "Early mornings, sleepless nights and red-eye flights to Spain were frequent."

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 Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.