The Tuscan producer’s medium-intensity blend secured a third consecutive Gold Award at the world’s leading olive oil quality contest.
Olive Oil Times |
Tuscany, Italy — Arsenio has been awarded a Gold at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the Ora brand.
Ora is an extra virgin olive oil of medium intensity. Marked by artichoke and fresh herb aromas, the oil carries almond and arugula notes through the palate, finishing with a clean touch of pepper. Produced from four varieties cultivated in Arsenio’s grove, Ora reflects a harvest approach that prioritizes picking each variety at optimal ripeness to shape the balance between fruitiness and bitterness, spiciness and sweetness.
Arsenio was founded by Arsen Khachaturyants, a mathematician with a culinary background who began producing olive oil while establishing vineyards in Tuscany. While waiting for vines to mature, he turned to the centuries-old olive trees on the property and began experimenting with local cultivars, building Ora around Tuscan varieties harvested and milled separately before final blending.
Working organically and with an emphasis on environmental stewardship, Arsenio tends the trees year-round and begins harvesting in October. Khachaturyants has described olive oil as a living product, shaping Ora each year through tasting and adjusting blends rather than aiming to replicate an identical profile from one harvest to the next. In a recent season marked by extreme summer heat in Tuscany, he noted that conditions yielded a smoother, less spicy blend.
Across the harvest, Arsenio has focused on limiting deterioration in the fruit by carefully handling olives and ensuring they are pressed the same day they are picked. The steep terrain of the groves has also required a labor-intensive manual harvest, and Khachaturyants has highlighted the value of trained, full-time workers who can identify readiness in the trees and select healthy fruit while discarding damaged olives.
Recognition at the 2026 NYIOOC extends Arsenio’s record at the competition to three Gold Awards overall, following Gold Awards in 2024 and 2025 for Ora. Khachaturyants has said entering quality competitions helps producers assess whether they are moving in step with market expectations and provides customers confidence in a producer’s legitimacy.
The 2026 NYIOOC Gold places Ora among the world’s elite extra virgin olive oils. In the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, Arsenio is ranked #40 in Italy, #81 in the Northern Hemisphere and #85 Worldwide.
The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, widely regarded as the world’s leading olive oil quality contest, is a trusted reference for consumers and industry professionals.