Sign up for annual Olive Oil Competition at Fresno Fair

FRESNO – A competition to judge the finest olive oil produced in the state will return to the Central Valley this year, and the deadline to sign up is approaching. 

The last day to register for the San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition will be March 28. The competition is open to all olive oil producers in the state. Olive oil presented at the competition must be from the most recent olive harvest in order to be judged. 

The competition will include a gold and silver medal award to the top producers. Oils will be judged on how the product meets the type or varietal standards, balance, structure and character. Gold medals will be awarded to producers scoring between 86 and 100. Silver medals will be awarded to producers scoring between 76 and 85 points. Both Extra Virgin Olive Oil and flavored oil will be awarded. 

Gold medal winners will be eligible to compete for Best of Show which will be awarded to the best quality oil that demonstrates special characteristics. Local area producers are also eligible to compete for Best in the Valley. Eligible producers must be located in Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Kern, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties.  

In 2024, Olivala’s OLA won the EVOO category for Best of Show for their block and super blend oil that was produced in Tulare County. The winner for the flavored category was ENZO Olive Oil Company for its Organic Fresno Chili Crush oil. Olivala’s OLA also won Best of the Valley for the same EVOO that won Best of Show.

The results of the judging will be announced on May 1, 2025.