Olive oil produced in Portugal has won the most awards at the 4th International Olive Oil Competition for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Portugal’s 11 wins beat the Spanish offerings which won 9 awards. The Italian oils received three awards, and one olive oil from Chile was selected for an award in a competition that saw olive oil competing from as far afield as Greece, Slovenia, Uruguay and Germany.
The jury, recognised by the powerful International Olive Council, included 19 Portuguese experts, 10 Spanish ones, and one each from the major producing countries including Israel, Germany, Tunisia, Argentina, Chile and Slovenia.
The President of the Jury, Professor José Gouveia, now internationally recognised as one of the world’s experts, noted that "the quality of oil sent in for this year’s competition reflects, once again, what has been happening at the Ovibeja contest which has been growing in importance. This competition is beginning to gain international fame due to the quantity and quality of samples from different countries. The respected judges and excellent organisation this year has exceeded expectations."
"The members of the Jury were delighted with the oils submitted for tasting," concluded Gouveia.
The prizes for the 4th International Competition for Extra Virgin Olive Oil will be presented on the 3rd of May at a ceremony in Ovibeja, Alentejo, where visitors can taste the olive oils and participate in tastings to understand the different characteristics of olive oil and its many culinary uses.
