17.02.2014

Almost 250 samples of extra virgin olive oil (+25% over 2013) from 10 countries - Italy, Chile, Uruguay, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey and Greece - will be assessed by a qualified panel of 13 international judges from Italy, Chile, Greece, Slovenia and Spain. 

Verona, 17 February 2014 – Ten countries have entered 250 samples of extra virgin olive oil (+25% over 2013) from Italy, Chile, Uruguay, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Turkey and Greece: Veronafiere Sunday 16-Saturday 22 February will host the 12^th edition of the International "Sol d’Oro" COMPETITION, the full-scale "Olympic Games" for quality olive that in September 2014 doubles up in the southern hemisphere to meet the production requirements of producer countries in this part of the world. This event makes its debut in Chile and will then continue travel every year to another country with significant olive oil production, from New Zealand to Argentina.

The most important international olive oil competition in the world is organised by Veronafiere as a preview for Sol&Agrifood (6-9 April 2014, www.solagrifood.com). It is divided into five categories - light fruity, medium fruity, intense fruity, single variety and organic – and the extra virgin olive oil will be judged using “blind tasting” methods (that is, the samples are rendered anonymous through a legal procedure) by a qualified commission of 13 international judges from Italy, Chile, Greece, Slovenia and Spain.

The sensitivity of international buyers towards the winners of Sol d'Oro is confirmed by their requests to the organisers of Sol&Agrifood to arrange – during the traditional walk around tasting scheduled in the course of the international quality agro-food exhibition held alongside Vinitaly and Enolitech - tastings of award-winning olive oils before all the others in order to define the quality standard for products taking part in the show.

"Quality and professionalism always pay off," said Damiano Berzacola, Deputy President of Veronafiere. In just a few years, Sol d’Oro has managed to carve out undisputed international leadership and, today, the creation of a twin competition in the southern hemisphere in September on the one hand is an effective response to the needs of this olive-growing area and on the other adds an important new link in the mosaic of initiatives promoted abroad by Veronafiere. This operation has the dual objective of establishing strong roots in the reference markets and promoting incoming attendance in Verona and Italy as a whole by buyers and operators to the benefit of exports of Italian products that for olive oil alone came to 1.3 billion euros in 2013." 

The first edition by Southern Hemisphere Sol d'Oro in Chile, for "new world" olive oil production (where the campaign starts in Spring), was created with the patronage of Veronafiere and will be presented on Tuesday 8 April during the Gala Evening Award Ceremony for the winners of Sol d'Oro 2014 in the presence of the President of the Cata Chile Panel Association and the Chilean Ambassador in Italy.