The Arizona producer earned Silver Awards for Queen Creek Olive Mill Robust and Queen Creek Olive Mill Balanced at the world’s leading olive oil quality contest.
Olive Oil Times |
Queen Creek, United States — Queen Creek Olive Mill has been awarded two Silver Awards at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for Queen Creek Olive Mill extra virgin olive oils.
Queen Creek Olive Mill earned a Silver Award for Queen Creek Olive Mill Robust, a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil produced from Koroneiki olives. Queen Creek Olive Mill also won a Silver Award for Queen Creek Olive Mill Balanced, a delicate-intensity blend.
Queen Creek Olive Mill Robust is distinguished by a clean, green character, with arugula notes that underscore its medium-intensity profile. Produced from Koroneiki, Frantoio, Arbequina and Arbosana cultivars, Queen Creek Olive Mill Robust reflects Queen Creek Olive Mill’s focus on freshness and clarity of flavor in a desert-growing environment.
Founded in 2005 by Perry and Brenda Rea and their five children, Queen Creek Olive Mill has developed into Arizona’s only active olive mill and a prominent agricultural destination about 50 kilometers southeast of Phoenix. The family built the operation around both farming and milling, while also developing an educational, visitor-focused model designed to introduce consumers to extra virgin olive oil through tastings, tours and events.
Tourism has been central to Queen Creek Olive Mill’s approach, with the farm and mill drawing more than 650,000 visitors annually. Alongside olive oil production, Queen Creek Olive Mill has offered a range of experiences intended to connect guests with how extra virgin olive oil is made and how quality is evaluated, from introductory classes and cooking demonstrations to tractor-led farm tours.
On the agricultural side, Queen Creek Olive Mill began by planting different varieties to determine which cultivars could perform best in Arizona’s desert climate, where summers can be extremely hot and winters are typically short and mild. The farm has been described as an evolving operation that expanded organically over time, with the Rea family aligning milling and retail offerings to meet demand from visitors interested in learning what distinguishes high-quality extra virgin olive oil from other edible oils.
The two 2026 awards add to a growing competition record for Queen Creek Olive Mill at the NYIOOC. Overall, Queen Creek Olive Mill has earned one Gold Award and eight Silver Awards, including four Silver Awards in 2025, one Silver Award in 2024, one Silver Award in 2019 and a Gold Award in 2017.
The 2026 results also contribute to Queen Creek Olive Mill’s standing in the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, where Queen Creek Olive Mill is ranked #21 in the United States, #66 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.