Zlatna Šoltanka Wins Sixth Consecutive Award at 2022 NYIOOC

The Croatian producers' association, Zlatna Šoltanka, won a Gold Award at the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

Oil production is a kind of sport for us: It fills us with joy, forces us to discipline, lifelong improvement and perfection. We would not miss the NYIOOC for anything.

Zlatko Burić, president

The association earned the award for its sixth consecutive NYIOOC recognition for an organic medium blend of Šoltanka and Levantinka olives.

"Olive growers from Šolta compete in many international competitions, oil production is a kind of sport for us: It fills us with joy, forces us to discipline, lifelong improvement and perfection," said Zlatko Burić, the island association's president.

"We would not miss the NYIOOC for anything, it is for us the Olympics of olive growing, and the Gold Award confirms that we are among the best in the world," he added.

Despite another success at the NYIOOC, Burić said an unforgivingly hot summer and dry year significantly impacted the harvest.

"Last year, Šolta olive growers faced great challenges," he said. "About 80 percent of the rain falls in autumn and spring in normal years."

"Last year, there was so little precipitation that a large number of young shoots dried up at the start, and the dry summer reduced the amount of fruit, so we had an extremely poor harvest," Burić added.

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.