News
Multi-medal success for local EVOOs at NYIOOC Local producers have done our industry proud at this year’s New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC), with Australian and New Zealand entries awarded a combined total of 19 medals. In a format change for the competition, medal results were released over a six-week period, rather than announced at the completion of judging. For the third year running, the NYIOOC also utilised remote judging for all entries.
Early news for NZ winners
The first New Zealand winners were among the early announcements, with four announced in the first week. Two more followed in week two, making it six out of eight for the NZ medal tally. Heading the country’s winners list were Loopline Olives, who took two of the four Gold medals. The others went to Blue Earth and Totara Tunnel, while Silver medals went to Dali and Kapati Olives.
Victorian sweep
New Zealand producers showed that small is indeed beautiful, taking four Gold and two Silver medals from eight entries.
Australian medal winners
Gold Cape Schanck Olive Estate Picholine Cape Schanck Olive Estate Leccino Cape Schanck Olive Estate Frantoio Cobram Estate Robust EVOO Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Coratina Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Picual Cockatoo Grove Classic Organic Cockatoo Grove Midnight Organic Mount Zero Olives Frantoio Silver Cobram Estate Classic EVOO Oasis Olives Australia Picual Taralinga Estate Robusto Taralinga Estate Premium Blend
New Zealand medal winners Gold Blue Earth Intense Loopline Picholine Loopline Picual Totara Tunnel Frantoio Silver Dali Koroneiki Kapiti Frantoio Blend
Cobram Estate US medals
Gold medals Cobram Estate 100% Californian Robust EVOO Cobram Estate California Select EVOO Silver medals Cobram Estate California Classic EVOO Cobram Estate California Mild EVOO
6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • June 2022 • Issue 124
Victorian producer Cockatoo Grove’s organic EVOOs were awarded two Golds from the NYIOOC judges.
Australian entrants had to wait several weeks longer until the first medals for Australian oils were announced. Three hit the results screen on the same day, all for Mornington Peninsula producer Cape Schanck Olive Estate - and all Gold! More winners were announced over the following weeks, reaching a final total of nine Gold and four Silver medals for Australian EVOOs. And remarkably, all are made by Victorian producers. Those three Golds saw Cape Schanck continue its winning streak at the NY competition, as did Cobram Estate, who equalled that achievement and then raised it with an additional Silver. Cockatoo Grove celebrated two Golds of their own, with another awarded to Grampians producer Mount Zero Olives. Cape Schanck Olive Fellow Mornington Peninsula producers Estate’s Frantoio Taralinga Estate added two Silver medals to was just one of three their past NY success, with a fourth going to varietals awarded Gold in the New Oasis Olives. York competition. Cobram Estate also proved that the quality production practices the company is renowned for are portable, and it can make great EVOO anywhere in the world. The company had impressive NYIOOC success with its US-produced EVOOs, awarded an additional four medals, two Gold and two Silver.
Statistics
Australian producers won nine Gold and four Silver medals from 20 entries (65% success rate), while their New Zealand counterparts earned six Gold and two Silver medals from eight entries (75% success rate). A total of 1186 entries from 28 countries were judged by a team of 21 tasters in 11 countries, with 543 Gold and 258 Silver medals awarded. Monovarietal oils accounted for 669 of the entries and 471 awards (311 Gold, 160 Silver - 70% success rate), while 517 entries were blends, of which 330 received awards (232 Gold, 98 Silver - 66% success rate). There was minimal difference in the results for organic (338 entries 69% success rate) and non-organic oils (848 entries - 67% success rate). Italy submitted the largest number of entries (221), followed by Spain (167) Greece (142) and the US (132), however Croatia was the most successful producing country, awarded 96 medals (69 Gold, 27 Silver) from 112 entries, an 86% success rate. More information: www.bestoliveoils.org.
