Central Coast Olive Oil Competition results announced
Over 100 entries judged in annual competition
– The Central Coast Olive Oil Competition has released the results from the 2023 competition which featured premier oils produced across California.
Taking home the best of show awards were the following:
• Best of Show Robust: Olea Farm (Templeton)
• Best of Show Medium: Olivaia’s Ola (Lindsay)
• Best of Show Delicate: Colomba Bianca (Clements)
• Best of Show Flavored: Calivirgin/Lodi Olive Oil
The 2023 Producer of the Year award will be announced at a later time.
“The number of entries for this year’s competition was strong with 108 entries, despite a 2022-2023 harvest that was light, primarily due to weather conditions that limited bloom,” said Chief Judge Paul Vossen, “Now that the pandemic is kind-of over it was refreshing to see a resurgence in activity, compared to the last few years. We tweaked the entry classes somewhat to further emphasize the featured varietal oils as to their origin countries. Overall, there were eleven Best-of-Class oils selected out of the 18 different classes.
“I am very proud of our judges who have many years of experience working on various certified taste panels and in the industry marketing olive oil. Many are also olive growers and processors who know the specific characteristics of the varieties and they taste oils on a regular basis. They were all very discerning and diligent in their efforts to categorize these oils appropriately.”
All entries entered were also judged on their marketing efforts as part of the Central Coast Packaging and Design Competition:
• Best of Label – Single Bottle: Central Coast Olive Company
• Best of Label – Series: Solana
• Best of Packaging – Single Bottle: Balestrieri Family Farm
• Best of Packaging – Series of Bottles: La Panza Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Other judges were: Roger Declercq, Maria Farr, John Hadley, Lawrence Jacobs, Arden Kremer, Nancy Lilly, Julie Menge, Olga Orlova, and Glenn Weddell.
Check out the complete results at https://centralcoastwinecomp.com/olive-oil/ and support the participating businesses.
The 2023 California Mid-State Fair runs July 19 through July 30 and this year’s theme is “Shake, Rattle & Roll!”
Comments
