Quality Defies the Drought: The 2022 World Olive Oil Awards
Even as the drought tightened, the world’s best producers kept pressing world-class oil. The 2022 medals were a reminder that quality is a choice, not merely a climate — and that brilliant oil now comes from all over the map.
At the 2022 edition of the world’s largest olive-oil quality competition, Italy led with around 158 gold and silver awards and Spain followed with about 128. But the quietly important story was the continued rise of Croatia, Türkiye and other less-famous origins climbing the quality table. In a brutal drought year, that spread of medals says something worth dwelling on: great oil is a decision made in the grove and the mill, not a birthright of three famous countries.
Why quality is a choice, not a climate
It is tempting to think a drought year must mean bad oil. It does not, and the medals prove it. Yield and quality are different things: drought slashes how much oil a grove makes, but a careful grower can still press superb oil from a smaller crop — picking at the right ripeness, milling fast and cold, storing well. What separates a great bottle from a dull one is decisions, not just rainfall. That is why, even in the worst year in memory, the best producers still won.
The rise beyond the big three
The more interesting trend is geographic. Awards keep spreading beyond Italy, Spain and Greece to Croatia, Türkiye, Portugal and others. This tracks exactly what our encyclopedia keeps showing: brilliant oil now comes from all over the map. For a shopper, a medal-winning Croatian or Turkish oil is often superb and cheaper than a fashionable Tuscan name — you are paying for the oil, not the reputation.
How to read an awards list
An awards list is one of the few honest shortcuts on the shelf, because the oil was judged blind on quality rather than on marketing. But treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee: a medal tells you a producer made a fine oil in that year’s competition, not that the bottle in your hand is fresh. The medal plus a harvest date and a real, named origin is a far better guide than any country’s fame.
Using awards to buy better
- Treat a medal as an honest, blind-judged shortcut — but not the whole story.
- Look hardest at the rising origins: Croatia, Türkiye, Portugal often offer superb oil for less.
- Always pair the medal with a harvest date — awards do not keep oil fresh.
- Prefer a named estate or region over a vague national label.
- Remember a drought year can still produce world-class oil — quality is a choice.
The 2022 olive oil awards: common questions
Who won the most awards in 2022?
Italy led with around 158 gold and silver awards, and Spain followed with about 128. But medals also spread to rising origins like Croatia and Türkiye.
Can good oil come from a drought year?
Yes. Drought cuts how much oil a grove yields, but careful picking, fast cold milling and good storage can still produce superb oil from a smaller crop. Quality is a choice.
Which countries are rising in quality?
Croatia, Türkiye, Portugal and others keep climbing the medal tables, spreading award-winning oil well beyond the traditional ‘big three’ of Italy, Spain and Greece.
Is a medal a reliable buying guide?
It is one of the few honest, blind-judged shortcuts — but pair it with a harvest date and a real, named origin. A medal does not tell you the bottle in your hand is fresh.
Are award-winning oils always expensive?
No. A medal-winning oil from a rising origin like Croatia or Türkiye is often superb and cheaper than a fashionable name, because you pay for the oil rather than the reputation.
An awards list is one of the few honest shortcuts on the shelf, because the oil was judged blind on what it tasted like, not on its marketing. And increasingly the value sits with the rising origins — a medal-winning Croatian, Turkish or Portuguese oil is often superb and a good deal cheaper than a fashionable Tuscan name. But do not stop at the medal: pair it with a harvest date and a real, named origin. That combination beats a country’s reputation every time, drought year or not.
Drawn from 2022 results of the world’s largest olive-oil quality competition and the broadening geography of award-winning origins.