Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil receive the highest honours at the 2025 Mario Solinas Quality Award

The International Olive Council (IOC) today presented the 2025 Mario Solinas Quality Award – Southern Hemisphere, at a ceremony held in San Juan, Argentina. The competition has recognised the best extra virgin olive oils from South America and southern Africa, reflecting the growth and diversity of the olive oil sector in these regions.

Thirty oils from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru and South Africa were submitted to this edition and evaluated by an international jury that assessed the olfactory, gustatory and retronasal sensations, as well as the harmony, complexity and persistence of each sample.

“The Southern Hemisphere represents a new boundary for global olive growing. Countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil are demonstrating that it is possible to produce extra virgin olive oils of the highest quality, adapted to their own territories and with a unique sensory identity. The IOC wants to accompany this development by promoting scientific cooperation, sustainability and excellence,” said IOC Deputy Executive Director Abderraouf Laajimi.

This year, the Mario Solinas Quality Award celebrates a quarter of a century since the IOC decided to promote recognition of the commitment, skill and experience of producers, packers and distributors, as well as to help consumers learn about the wide range of flavours and aromas present in extra virgin olive oils. This is the second edition of these awards dedicated exclusively to oils from the Southern Hemisphere, although between 2017 and 2023 there was a special category for the region.

Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil: protagonists of excellence

The award-winning oils showcase the great diversity of sensory profiles that characterise the Southern Hemisphere: from intense and complex robust green fruitiness, with herbaceous and almond notes, to sweeter and rounder ripe fruitiness. This variety reflects the potential of the region’s olive groves and the ability of producers to combine innovation and sustainability in diverse climatic environments.

Five Argentine oils stood out, confirming the country’s leadership in the production, processing and marketing of high-quality oils:

Familia Zuccardi – La Agrícola (Mendoza) won First Prize in the Robust Green category, while Agroliva (Buenos Aires) won First Prize in the Ripe category.
Solfrut (San Juan) was also recognised as the first runner-up in the Delicate Green category and Molinos Río de la Plata (Buenos Aires) as the first runner-up in the Packers category.
Diego Roberto Hollender (Buenos Aires) was the third finalist in the Medium Green category.

Uruguay also stood out as one of the most dynamic hubs of the new olive-growing regions with four awards:

Ernesto Singer (Montevideo) received the First Prize in Delicate Green, while Agroland (Montevideo) won the Second Prize in Medium Green.
Gafimax (Montevideo) was the first runner-up in the Ripe category and Tebalsur (Montevideo) was the second runner-up in the Medium Green category.

Two oils from Brazil were recognised for their unique quality and sensory profile:

Fazenda Serra dos Tapes (Rio Grande do Sul) won first prize in the Medium Green category, and Estância das Oliveiras Agroindustrial (Rio Grande do Sul) was recognised as first runner-up in the same category.

Finally, a South African extra virgin olive oil –De Rustica Olive Estate (De Rust)– won Second Prize in the Robust Green category.