The Western Cape producer was recognized for Mardouw XXV Intense and Mardouw XXV Medium, extending a multi-year record at the World Competition.
Olive Oil Times |
Western Cape, South Africa — Mardouw Investments has been awarded a Gold and a Silver at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for its Mardouw XXV extra virgin olive oils.
Mardouw XXV Intense earned a Gold Award in the medium intensity category. Crafted from Favolosa olives, Mardouw XXV Intense is distinguished by pepper, ripe apple and tomato leaf, with a clean structure that carries the aromatic profile through the finish.
Mardouw Investments also received a Silver Award for Mardouw XXV Medium, a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil produced from Coratina olives, adding a second distinction at the 2026 World Competition and underscoring the breadth of styles the producer is achieving from different cultivars.
Mardouw Olive Estate, home to Mardouw Investments, is located at the foot of Langeberg Mountain in South Africa’s Western Cape. Centered around a 100-year-old manor house, the estate has undergone a significant agricultural transition since the Verder family purchased it in 2002, shifting from grapes and fruit toward olive cultivation and milling with an emphasis on quality. With Mediterranean soil and climate, Mardouw Olive Estate carries out each step on site, from production through bottling.
The 2026 results add to a growing record for Mardouw Investments at the World Competition. In total, Mardouw Investments has accumulated nine Gold and three Silver Awards at NYIOOC, with awards recorded in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 as well as 2026, reflecting an extended run of recognition over multiple harvests.
In coverage of earlier editions of the competition, Mardouw Investments has been cited among South African producers navigating operational constraints while maintaining quality benchmarks. South African entrants have faced erratic weather and frequent power outages during harvest in recent years, conditions that have required careful planning to protect fruit integrity and manage processing schedules. Against that backdrop, the performance of Western Cape producers has helped strengthen South Africa’s standing at the World Competition.
The new awards position Mardouw Investments among the top-ranked producers in the country and beyond. In the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, Mardouw Investments is ranked #2 in South Africa, #9 in the Southern Hemisphere and #59 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.