The robust Croatian blend earned another top honor in New York, extending OPG Uroda’s record of five Gold Awards at the world’s leading olive oil quality contest.
Olive Oil Times |
Pirovac, Croatia — OPG Uroda has been awarded a Gold at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the Uroda Blend brand.
Uroda Blend is an extra virgin olive oil of robust intensity. Crafted from Leccino, Oblica, Levantinka and Lastovka olives, Uroda Blend is distinguished by assertive herbaceous character and green, unripe notes, with impressions of chicory, olive leaf and arugula that build into a lively, palate-cleansing finish.
In Dalmatia, the olive groves behind Uroda Blend have become a setting not only for meticulous farming, but also for hands-on learning. In 2023, OPG Uroda earned a Gold Award at the NYIOOC with an extra virgin olive oil made from olives harvested with the help of students from the Matija Gubec International Elementary School in Zagreb, who traveled to the hinterland of Pirovac as part of their lessons about nature. When Krešimir Uroda told the students he would submit the oil to the competition, their enthusiasm was immediate, with one student remarking that if the oil won, “the whole world will know that our school and we helped.”
“What I promised, I did,” said Krešimir Uroda, owner, OPG Uroda. “It’s an incredible feeling. It’s like winning the UEFA Champions League or climbing Mount Everest.”
OPG Uroda’s olive growing story is rooted in family history and a return to ancestral land. Krešimir Uroda, now 43, grew up in Čakovec in northern Croatia, and returned to Pirovac on the Dalmatian coast after the passing of his father, Ante, who had planted hundreds of olive trees on neglected family land years earlier and encouraged his son to take over the grove. In spring 2018, Krešimir Uroda assumed responsibility for the olive grove, later recalling daily visits to his father in the hospital, sharing photos of branches heavy with fruit. The first harvest under his care yielded an early success, with the oil winning a gold medal at the “Days of Young Olive Oil in Dalmatia” event, an award Krešimir Uroda dedicated to his father.
Beyond production, OPG Uroda has developed its olive grove as a destination for guests seeking a quiet rural setting near the sea. Krešimir Uroda previously said that the response from visitors exceeded expectations after offering accommodations through Airbnb, and he has also hosted educational visits, including students of various ages who have come to learn about premium olive oils and their properties. OPG Uroda has also welcomed growers for practical discussions about olive cultivation, including a workshop where experts demonstrated crown reform and pruning techniques on part of the plantation.
The 2026 NYIOOC Gold continues a consistent record for OPG Uroda in New York. Across OPG Uroda’s full participation history at the competition, the producer has earned five Gold Awards and no Silvers, including Golds in 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2021.
The 2026 distinction also strengthens OPG Uroda’s standing in the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, where OPG Uroda is ranked #19 in Croatia, #70 in the Northern Hemisphere and #73 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.