The South African producer’s medium-intensity Nocellara del Belice monocultivar earned top honors in the world’s leading olive oil quality contest.
Olive Oil Times |
Porterville, South Africa — Porterville Olives has been awarded a Gold at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for Andante Intenso.
Produced as a medium-intensity monocultivar from Nocellara del Belice olives, Andante Intenso is distinguished by a lively herbaceous character, with notes of green tomato and fresh grass, followed by a focused spice and black pepper sensation. Porterville Olives relies on careful harvesting and milling to preserve the oil’s freshness and balance.
Based at the Wereldsgeluk Olive Estate, Porterville Olives is a South African family-owned producer focused on premium extra virgin olive oil, emphasizing ethical, sustainable and natural farming practices when possible. Porterville Olives produces olive oils under the Andante name, with Andante Intenso positioned as the flagship, and Andante Forte and Mezzo also earning recognition at the NYIOOC.
“We credit our production, harvesting and milling teams, who have received Gold awards consistently at NYIOOC, our premier event,” said Willie Duminy, coowner at Porterville Olives. “Jan Hendrik Basson has become a leading Olive and olive oil producer. We were inspired to set high standards by Giorgio Mori and Guido Testi of Mori-TEM (Oliomio) and Linda and Carlo Costa in SA, and thank them for that.”
“We are very grateful and humbled by the generosity of nature and the olive,” said Willie Duminy, owner at Porterville Olives. “The perseverance and meticulous attention to detail of our teams showed enormous character, which is reflected in the Evoo’s. Winning three Gold Awards at NYIOOC helps us promote and improve love for and appreciation of premium evoo.”
Porterville Olives has built an extensive record at the NYIOOC, with 13 Gold and five Silver awards overall. In recent years, Porterville Olives earned two Gold awards in 2025; two Gold and one Silver in 2023; three Gold in 2022; two Gold and one Silver in 2021; and a Gold in 2020, following earlier awards in 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016.
“We are very pleased and proud of the excellent work done by the whole team at Porterville Olives and our Olive Estate in South Africa,” said Willie Duminy, owner at Porterville Olives. “The NYIOOC is very important to us and we are very pleased to have achieved two Gold and one Silver medal at this most prestigious competition.”
“We are delighted. We consider this a great achievement in the current circumstances,” said Willie Duminy, owner at Porterville Olives. “It is apt recognition for our team's commitment to excellence and persistence, regardless. We are very pleased at having done so well in this great competition.”
The 2026 NYIOOC Gold further strengthens Porterville Olives’ position among award-winning producers. In the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, Porterville Olives is ranked #1 in South Africa, #5 in the Southern Hemisphere and #38 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.