The Mario Solinas Award proves that excellence in EVOO knows no frontiers

The International Olive Oil Council (IOC) has presented the Mario Solinas 2025 Awards, a competition that for the past 25 years has recognised the best extra virgin olive oils in the world, those that stand out for their exceptional quality and commitment to excellence. The award ceremony was attended by leading representatives of the olive oil sector, the international jury and the award winners and finalists.

A total of 130 oils from Algeria, China, Croatia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey were submitted. Nine juries evaluated the olfactory, gustatory and retronasal sensations, as well as the harmony, complexity and persistence of each one, with Spanish oils standing out in this edition, receiving 25 of the 32 awards. Oils from Tunisia, Italy, Portugal and Croatia were also recognised for their excellence.

The oils were submitted by individual producers, associations and bottling companies and, according to the competition rules, were classified into the following categories: intense green fruity, medium green fruity, light green fruity, mature fruity, small producers and bottlers.

For Jaime Lillo, Executive Director of the IOC, the Mario Solinas Award demonstrates that excellence in extra virgin olive oil knows no borders:
‘Every year, a prestigious international jury recognises oils from all over the world. As an international organisation, we are proud to see how this award has established itself as a global symbol of quality’.

Lillo also stressed that today more than ever ‘consumers are looking for products that combine flavour, health and sustainability. Extra virgin olive oil embodies all these values’.

More global and inclusive

The competition was created in 1993 in memory of Dr Mario Solinas, a pioneer in the development of sensory analysis of olive oil and a key figure in establishing the international quality standards adopted by the IOC since 1986. Since the first official edition, held in 2000/01, the event has evolved to adapt to the transformation of the sector, increasing the number of participants, countries represented and categories.

The International Olive Oil Council (IOC) has presented the Mario Solinas 2025 Awards, a competition that for the past 25 years has recognised the best extra virgin olive oils in the world, those that stand out for their exceptional quality and commitment to excellence. The award ceremony was attended by leading representatives of the olive oil sector, the international jury and the award winners and finalists.

In its first editions, only oils produced in IOC member countries could compete, but since 2007 the competition has been open to all producing countries in the world, in line with the inclusive and global spirit of the organisation. In 2017, specific categories for small producers and bottlers were added, recognising the value they bring to the market.

In 2024, the IOC held for the first time a special edition of the Mario Solinas Award for oils from the southern hemisphere, adapted to its harvest calendar. After a first edition in Uruguay, Argentina will host this year's edition. This decision aims not only to strengthen international cooperation and the exchange of best practices, but also to encourage new countries in the region to join the IOC.