Istria’s Olivo Monte Cucco Victorious at 2024 NYIOOC

Croatian producer Olivo Monte Cucco has won a Gold Award at the 2024 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's largest olive oil quality contest.

Winning a Gold Award at such a prestigious competition confirms my judgment calls, perseverance and hard work. Also, I did not filter the olive oil but allowed it to settle on its own.

Mili Kus, owner

Based in the north of the Istria, the company earned its fifth World Competition award for its Oliva Lucia brand, an organic medium-intensity blend.

"Winning a Gold Award at such a prestigious competition confirms my judgment calls, perseverance and hard work," said owner Mili Kus. "Also, I did not filter the olive oil but allowed it to settle on its own."

In the 2023/24 crop year, Olivo Monte Cucco produced 1,350 liters of extra virgin olive oil using traditional methods.

"There was an infestation of the olive fruit fly in 2023," Kus said. "It was generally a very wet year with too much rain in July that didn't allow the olives to ripen, even though October was warm and mild."

"Though yields were low, I elected to continue with an early harvest before the rains came," she added. "We ended up harvesting in shirt sleeves the whole time."

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.