In olive oil’s worst year, even more expected to compete for title of ‘world’s best’

The 2014-2015 harvest year will go down in history as one of the worst for olive farms in certain regions hit hard by bad weather and a fruit fly run amok, but even through all of the challenges of what some are calling the Annus Horribilis (the horrible year), a remarkable number of producers have tasted what flows from their mills this season and believe they have managed to craft one the best olive oils in the world. Organisers for the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC), the world’s largest and most prestigious olive oil quality competition, say entries are pouring in at an even faster pace than last year, when a record 651 brands participated.