The medium-intensity Croatian blend from Hvar Island earned a Silver Award in New York.
Olive Oil Times |
Gdinj, Croatia — OPG Seca has been awarded a Silver at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for Eva Marija Premium.
Eva Marija Premium is a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil made from Oblica and Levantinka olives. Produced on the eastern side of Hvar Island, the oil is distinguished by a clean, savory green profile, with artichoke depth and an arugula-like lift that carries through the finish.
Founded in 1997, the Eva Marija Čurin farm is located in the district of Gdinj and overlooks the Adriatic Sea. The estate comprises five hectares of specialized olive groves with 1,000 trees. The fruits are hand-picked in the first half of October and milled within 24 hours using a cold extraction system, a workflow designed to preserve freshness and retain the cultivar character in the finished oil.
In addition to focusing on careful orchard work and rapid processing, the farm has used tasting to connect extra virgin olive oil with local gastronomy. In 2023, Eva Marija Čurin hosted a guided dinner event in the Seca tasting room, pairing multiple olive oils with a series of Hvar dishes and wines, with guests selecting preferred pairings in blind tastings. The event reflected a broader approach to quality in which sensory evaluation and culinary use are treated as extensions of harvest and milling decisions.
“A healthy Mediterranean diet is unthinkable without high-quality extra virgin olive oil,” said Eva Marija Čurin, owner of OPG Seca. “We organized all family events and celebrations as well as workshops in the olive grove. This is the center of our agriculture,” Čurin said. “As it is also of great sentimental importance to us, Seca spontaneously imposed itself as the name of the family farm, olive house, tasting room, the brand for the oils and all the products we produce.”
The 2026 Silver adds to a strong record for OPG Seca at the NYIOOC. Across its full competition history, OPG Seca has earned a total of seven awards: six Gold Awards and one Silver Award.
The result also strengthens OPG Seca’s position in the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, where OPG Seca is ranked #15 in Croatia, #64 in the Northern Hemisphere and #68 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.