Ayvaco Wins Silver in Top Olive Oil Quality Competition
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Time to read 2 min
A Second Silver for Ayvaco at NYIOOC 2026
Increasingly in olive oil world, third-party verification of quality and authenticity is paramount.
Amidst a glut of highly refined and low-grade olive oil on supermarket shelves and an influx of boutique, independent brands making loud quality claims on the other, awards from expert olive oil sommelier panels can distinguish real-deal extra virgin from the rest.
Legally, only olive oil that has received both a chemical lab assessment and an organoleptic (sensory) assessment from trained sommeliers can claim to be "extra virgin". This is because an olive oil can be chemically "extra virgin" but contain one or more taste defects that render the oil unfit for the superior quality grade.
After several years' hiatus following the pandemic and family health-related operational challenges, we felt re-inspired to compete in New York following attendance at the Olive Oil Times Sommelier Certification course in May 2025. We committed then to competing with our Autumn 2025 harvest, and hoped our obsession with quality would speak for itself.
Our family is proud to share that Ayvaco has won a second silver award for our Ayvalik Single Variety Extra Virgin at the prestigious New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) 2026.
Held annually in New York City, the competition is one of the industry's top litmus tests for olive oil quality. Here, the world's top trained sommeliers test thousands of extra virgin olive oils from around the world, disqualifying those with defects and awarding Silvers and Golds to flawless oils with superior flavor and health benefits.
Image from Ayvaco USA, LLC
As a bootstrapped small business, we are humbled to be able to say that our family's olive oil - enjoyed for generations in our hometown in the Aegean - stands among established brands as some of the best extra virgin olive oil in the world, and at a much more affordable price point than many peers of similar quality.
"As a small family business, we are thrilled that our bootstrapped beginnings and commitment to quality have enabled us to stand alongside such respected peers in the industry. As a third-generation producer, we are inspired to build on our traditional organic practices and are exploring the integration of biodynamic methods."
As we grow, we will continue to compete annually, as each new harvest deserves professional assessment to guarantee its quality. As anyone working in agriculture knows, no two harvests are the same, and the many factors that influence the success of the harvest and final product are hard to control. It is therefore incredibly rewarding to obtain that seal of approval from a panel of professional sommeliers each year.
And not all olive oils on the shelf can say that they pass the test.
Whether your love for olive oil is at Mediterranean levels or you are just starting to incorporate this ancient wonder food into your diet, you can trust that Ayvaco Extra Virgin is an authentic, high quality, and affordable choice you can reach for every day.
Shop Our Award Winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Meet the Authors
Hi! We're Erin and Umut - third generation olive oil producers, sommeliers, and life partners building Ayvaco from the ground up. Our mission is to share Ayvalik's beautiful single origin olive oil with food lovers everywhere, directly from the source. Our combined experience in engineering, international relations, and research helps us to see across borders and connect the global with the local while crafting the freshest EVOO possible.
