Fuenquesada Wins Top Award for Outstanding Picual

Spanish company Fuenquesada took an NYIOOC Gold Award for a monovarietal during its first outing at the world's most prestigious olive oil quality contest.

Our commitment, preserving our name and enhancing our tradition, has been fuelled to its maximum level of energy by the Gold Award. The recognition of this prestigious, and independent EVOO quality contest fulfills the maximum aspirations of our family.

Felix Gonzalez Quesada, Co-owner, Fuenquesada s.l.

The company produces extra virgin olive oil in Andalusia from Picual olives using traditional harvesting methods.

Careful attention to weather and the use of a variety of technique to mitigate its effect on the harvest was key to the company's strategy during the season, co-owner Felix Gonzalez Quesada said when learning of the win.

"Weather was a challenge. Combining tradition and innovation, integrating modern irrigation and fertigation, together with traditional techniques, we overcame any impact on the quality of the product. Very early harvesting implies high day temperatures (30ºC or 86ºF). Thus, the harvest was carried out at night to prevent negative impact on the fruit," Gonzalez Quesada said.

The Gold Award went to Fuenquesada Picual, a medium-intensity monovarietal.

"Fuenquesada´s shareholders are the current generation of the family. Our commitment, preserving our name and enhancing our tradition, has been fuelled to its maximum level of energy by the Gold Award," Gonzalez Quesada said.

"The recognition of this prestigious, and independent EVOO quality contest fulfills the maximum aspirations of our family. Thank you, NYIOOC!"

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 complete list of winners can be viewed on the Official Index of the World's Best Olive Oils