2018

The Best Olive Oils

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, held each spring in New York, is the world's largest and most prestigious olive oil contest and its annual listing of award winners is considered the authoritative guide to the year’s best extra virgin olive oils.

The 2018 competition saw 1,000 entries from 27 countries. Producers from 22 countries were awarded the coveted Silver, Gold and Best in Class Awards.

The annual event is organized by Olive Oil Times, the independent publication of record for the sector and the most-read source for olive oil news and information.

View the Results or learn more

What's all the fuss about good olive oil?

HEALTH

Fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil is one of the world's healthiest foods. Olive oils crafted with care are packed with antioxidants and phenolic compounds that are proven to help reduce and prevent diseases.

TASTE

Raw Catfish

The best olive oils are blow-your-mind delicious and they elevate the tastes of our foods in ways we never imagined. Hundreds of olive varieties offer countless pairing possibilities that chefs are only beginning to discover.

Try our pairing app

What makes a good olive oil?

Let's start with three things every extra virgin olive oil needs to have.

Fruitiness

Every good olive oil needs to have the aroma of fresh fruit. Olives are fruits, after all. The oil should smell fresh and fruity.

Bitterness

Olives are mighty bitter straight off the tree. So any fresh, high-quality olive oil must be bitter, which we perceive on the tongue.

Pungency

Pungency is that cough-inducing sting on the throat that's caused by the healthy phenolic compounds in fresh, high-quality olive oil.

What makes an award-winning olive oil?

To be among the world's best, an olive oil needs to exhibit outstanding character.

Complexity

Exceptional olive oils send us on an olfactory and gustatory journey through a complex bouquet of pleasing sensations.

Harmony

A pleasing balance in an oil sample's quality characteristics distinguishes high-quality olive oils from the others.

Persistence

The qualities should linger for a while, giving the taster time to reflect on the fruity notes and complex subtleties.