De Kleva Wins 9th World Competition Award

Croatian producer De Kleva has won a Gold Award at the 2024 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

This is a recognition that we are working well together. It is also an incentive to maintain the existing quality and improve it.

Marija Bursic, owner

Situated in the northwestern region of Istria, De Kleva earned its ninth World Competition award since 2014 for a medium-intensity blend.

"It is a special honor and pleasure for us to win such a prestigious award," said owner Marija Bursic. "This is a recognition that we are working well together."

"It is also an incentive to maintain the existing quality and improve it," she added. "For the Bursic family, extra virgin olive oil represents culture, tradition and leisure at the same time."

Despite a legacy of success at the World Competition, Bursic said this award was particularly gratifying after a challenging harvest for producers across Croatia.

"The last harvest was very demanding," she confirmed. "Rainy weather accompanied us throughout the entire harvest. We had to adapt to the weather conditions and work fewer hours a day with more pickers."

"We were slower and more tired, but we managed to successfully end the olive harvest and produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil," Bursic added.

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is the world's preeminent olive oil quality contest. Its annual list of award winners is the authoritative guide to the world's best olive oils and the dedicated producers who craft them.

The complete list of winners can be viewed in the Official Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.