Fortica Soltanka and Fortica Coratina-Leccino earned top honors as the Croatian producer’s long NYIOOC record continues.
Olive Oil Times |
Novigrad, Croatia — OPG Ivica Vlatkovic has been awarded two Gold Awards at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the Fortica Soltanka and Fortica Coratina-Leccino brands.
Fortica Soltanka is a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil produced from Levantinka olives. Marked by floral aromatics, the oil unfolds with fig leaf and herbs, building toward a peppery sensation and a chicory-like bitterness that lingers on the finish.
Fortica Coratina-Leccino, also awarded Gold in the medium category, is produced from Coratina olives. Together, the 2026 results underscore the range OPG Ivica Vlatkovic is pursuing in the grove and mill, from a Croatian monovarietal expression to an Italian cultivar known for structure and pungency.
OPG Ivica Vlatkovic farms 500 olive trees across 50 varieties, split between domestic and foreign cultivars. The five- to 10-year-old trees are irrigated with natural spring water, supporting consistent care through Dalmatia’s increasingly variable seasons. Vlatković has also been a prominent voice in the Croatian olive sector, pointing to the role of modern milling capacity, professional education and local tasting panels in raising quality standards nationally.
Over the last decade, Vlatković has also experimented with cultivar adaptation in response to hotter, drier conditions, including grafting and testing varieties suited to arid climates, while emphasizing that irrigation practices and timely processing are increasingly decisive for quality. In Olive Oil Times reporting, he has argued that Croatia’s small farms can be an advantage, with growers able to focus attention on individual trees and harvest decisions that prioritize premium results.
The two Gold Awards in 2026 add to a sustained record at the World Competition for OPG Ivica Vlatkovic. The producer’s full NYIOOC history now stands at 19 awards, including 15 Gold and four Silver. By year, OPG Ivica Vlatkovic earned two Gold Awards in 2025, two Gold in 2024, two Gold in 2023, two Silver in 2022, two Gold in 2021, one Gold and one Silver in 2020, one Gold and one Silver in 2019, two Gold in 2018 and one Gold in 2017.
The 2026 results place OPG Ivica Vlatkovic among the leading producers in the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, ranked #3 in Croatia, #33 in the Northern Hemisphere and #34 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.