The Croatian producer’s medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil blend earned its seventh Gold Award at the world’s leading quality contest.
Olive Oil Times |
Istria, Croatia — OPG Rheos has been awarded a Gold at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the Rheos Premium Blend brand.
Rheos Premium Blend is a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil made from Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Istria Buza and Istrian Bjelica olives. Rheos Premium Blend is distinguished by a green, unripe character with artichoke and fresh herbs, followed by arugula notes and a clean, peppery bite.
The 2026 Gold extends a consistent record at the competition for OPG Rheos, which has earned seven Gold Awards in total, including one each year from 2020 through 2025.
Rooted in Istria, OPG Rheos traces its identity to the word “rheos,” a Greek term meaning “spring” or “flow,” a reference to extra virgin olive oil’s journey from freshly picked fruit to finished oil. OPG Rheos is part of the Brečević family’s three-generation tradition of cultivating olive trees and producing olive oil, shaped by a long-standing attachment to olives, grapevines and the Istrian soil.
Croatian producers have increasingly turned international recognition into a reference point for quality, particularly as growers in Istria and Dalmatia have navigated difficult seasons and market disruptions in recent years. In Olive Oil Times coverage of Croatia’s record-setting performance at the 2021 NYIOOC, producers described the awards as a measure of resilience during a period marked by adverse weather and pandemic-era uncertainty.
The NYIOOC Gold places Rheos Premium Blend among the world’s elite extra virgin olive oils. In the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, OPG Rheos is ranked #13 in Croatia, #65 in the Northern Hemisphere and #67 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.