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 announounce shortly.
Quotes from Chief Judge Paul Vossen:
“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. 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.
Thank you to our chief judge Paul Vossen and cast of judges for another great competition; Roger Declercq, Maria Farr, John Hadley, Lawrence Jacobs, Arden Kremer, Nancy Lilly, Julie Menge, Olga Orlova and Glenn Weddell.
Central Coast Competitions 
Will you be releasing a press release with the full results, not just Best in Show?
Good afternoon Beth. You can find the full results here: https://centralcoastwinecomp.com/olive-oil/
Very happy to hear of being a great competition year. The north county has lot’s of good olive producers.
Reason for me not participating is because last year, I took my oil to the office of the fair ground and let 5 bottles of my oil. I later found out that they forgot to enroll me.
5 bottles cost me $150 . To this day, still not sure where my bottles ended up.
I was very disappointed, that’s why this year I declined to participate.
Good morning Ms. Lenci, we appreciate your comment and agree with you 100%. There are a lot of good olive producers in San Luis Obispo County. With all do respect to your experience, we (The California Mid-State Fair and the Central Coast Olive Oil Competition) would not have taken any bottles unless they were registered into the competition by the producer first. That is why we have registration close before the physical entries are received, so bottles aren’t misplaced or not accounted for. Anything further please feel free to get in touch with us exhibits@midstatefair.com. Thank you for your time and do hope to have you enter sometime in the future. Have a good Wednesday.
I am disappointed in the judging score cards. We have been with you for many years and as time goes by the winning award values need to be upgraded. I am also responding to the Initials on the score sheets, one person not listed on your panel judged our oil according to the initials.The scoring sheet leans on the fruity oils. Not the high polyphenol healthful oils.
No chemistry needed to justify the quality of EVOO for judging and, judges cannot justify their awards with no chemistry. A wine judge judging olive oil? Or infused olive oil being judged for fruitiness? Judging by the comments on my oils it is obvious there is a major problem with the way the scoring is done and who is doing it.The comments, not correct.
To justify this email, San Miguel Olive Farm is one of Top three most awarded producers of EVOO in the United States. NYIOOC WORLD.2024. Best of Show, Best of Class ,Best of California and Gold in 2024 California State Fair.
We have 188 awards for our pure high polyphenol olive oils. Early harvest oils are very pungent and not greasy. Please try to understand this email, it might help you select the right people for the right job.Times are changing, people are looking for healthful oils, not oils with excess fat.I am opting out of your competition. Thank you,
Richard