Paris, January 13th – Following her successful tenure as President of the OLIO NUOVO DAYS competition for the Southern Hemisphere, celebrated pastry Chef Jessica Préalpato has been appointed to the same prestigious role for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere competition. This marks a significant return for Chef Préalpato, who will once again lead the esteemed international jury in evaluating the finest extra virgin olive oils from across the globe.
The OLIO NUOVO DAYS competition celebrates the highest quality of freshly harvested olive oils, showcasing the unique flavors and aromas of the new season. As President, Chef Préalpato will bring her unparalleled expertise and discerning palate to the judging process, ensuring that only the most exceptional oils are recognized.
“I am thrilled to return as President of the OLIO NUOVO DAYS competition, this time for the Northern Hemisphere,” said Chef Préalpato. “My experience leading the Southern Hemisphere competition was incredibly rewarding, and I am eager to continue championing the excellence of extra virgin olive oil and contribute to the celebration of this incredible culinary treasure.”
Chef Préalpato’s appointment reflects her profound understanding of flavor profiles and her ability to discern subtle nuances. Her unique perspective comes from her concept of “Desseralité“, a mixture of dessert and Naturalité,” explains Préalpato. “And this word perfectly describes my pastry. The French word “Naturalité’” indicates something that belongs to nature and it is this basic “ to preserve an ingredient’s most beautiful “Naturalité’”, in order to create the best expression of its innate qualities”..
These are desserts with a raw visual; on the plate, everything must have a meaning.” Although simple at its core, when put into practice, the philosophy provides a challenge – but not one so big that Préalpato shies away from it.
Paris, February 5th – Following her successful tenure as President
Paris, France – The prestigious Olio Nuovo Days design competition, celebrating the artistry of packaging for newly pressed olive oils, is delighted to announce a dual role for renowned artist Sandrine Torredemer, known online as @la__filature. Torredemer will not only chair the esteemed judging panel for this year’s competition but also create an original artwork inspired by the winning design, further elevating the award’s prestige.
Olio Nuovo Days seeks to recognize innovative and visually compelling bottle and packaging designs that embody the essence of “olio nuovo” – the vibrant, intensely flavored early harvest olive oil. This year’s competition takes on added significance with Torredemer’s involvement, bringing her discerning eye and artistic vision to the forefront.
@la__filature is a multidisciplinary artist celebrated for her captivating works that explore the interplay of nature, texture, and light. Her distinctive style, characterized by renewing the art of embroidery, delicate lines, use of natural materials, evocative imagery, makes her uniquely qualified to lead the jury in selecting a design that resonates with both aesthetic excellence and the spirit of olio nuovo.
“We are honored to have Sandrine Torredemer chair this year’s Olio Nuovo Days design competition,” says Emmanuelle Dechelette, founder of the the Olio Nuovo Days. “Her profound understanding of art, design, and the evocative power of objects makes her an ideal leader for our jury. Furthermore, the original artwork she will create based on the winning design promises to be a truly exceptional and lasting tribute.”
As chair of the jury, Torredemer will guide the panel in evaluating submissions based on criteria such as originality, functionality, visual impact, and connection to the values of Olio Nuovo Days. Her expertise will be invaluable in identifying a design that not only stands out aesthetically but also effectively communicates the unique qualities of the featured olive oil.
Beyond her role as chair, Torredemer will also create an original artwork inspired by the winning design. This piece will serve as a unique artistic interpretation of the design’s core elements, adding a layer of artistic dialogue and further celebrating the winner’s achievement.
About Torredemer
Introduced to embroidery at an early age by her grandmother, Sandrine TORREDEMER has never stopped embroidering, a passion that became almost a necessity when her life was turbulent. Her artistic approach has gradually freed itself from the technical constraints of traditional embroidery to become less academic, less perfect, more personal and more sensitive. She draws most of her material from her family heritage, embroidering on discarded and patched sheets, with old canvas threads that she completes with mini-stitches of clothing she’s found at thrift shops, bits of nothing gleaned to give them a new life. This recycling gives the embroidered works their unique character, which resonates with our environmental concerns. Beyond recycling, embroidery responds to today’s aspirations for an art form that takes the long view, at odds with instantaneity and super-production, a form of luxury in the slowness of creation.This second life given to materials is also hers since she gave up her first professional activity to devote herself exclusively to embroidery. From her background in urban planning, she has retained a certain eye for urban forms and architecture, which she reproduces in small touches, sometimes insisting on attention-grabbing details.
The announcement of the winning design and the unveiling of Torredemer’s artwork will be a highlight of the Olio Nuovo Days event in Paris on March 26th. The event will bring together producers, designers, and enthusiasts to celebrate the exceptional flavors of new olive oils and the creativity behind their presentation.
This 6th edition of Olio Nuovo Days was held in person on September 19 in Paris at Le Monde headquaters , with an international in-person jury of professional tasters and culinary professionals chaired by Jessica PREALPATO, World’s Best Pastry Chef 2019.
OLIO NUOVO DAYS competition Southern Hemisphere 2024
We are thrilled to announce the results of the QUALITY COMPETITION for the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil ine the Southern Hemisphere:
BEST OF SHOW
MANTIKIRCoratina (Brazil)
Chef Jessica PRÉALPATO President of the competition will create a dessert inspired by the green and floral notes of the Coratina cultivated at over 1900 meters in altitude in the mountains located north of São Paulo, Brazil.
Chef Jessica PRÉALPATO & Philippe COHEN SOLALat the 6th edition of the OLIO NUOVO DAYS Southern Hemisphere
SCORING QUALITY OLIO NUOVO DAYS 2024
BEST IN CLASS
BEST CULTIVAR OF SHOW:
FAMILIA ZUCCARDIArauco (Argentina)
BEST BLEND OF SHOW:
SERRA DOS GARCIAS “EDIÇAO LIMITADA” Blend (Brazil)
TOP 5 (in alphabetical order)
AZEITE SABIAArbequina (Brazil)
EMPÓRIO PROSPERATOPicual (Brazil)
MONASTOBlend (Brazil)
OLIVARES DE SANTA LAURAReserva familiar (Uruguay)
RIO LARGO “Premium” Blend (South Africa)
PREMIUM GOLD (in alphabetical order)
AZEITE SABIA Blend (Brazil)
EMPÓRIO PROSPERATO “Origen” Blend (Brazil)
AL ZAIT&COPicual (Brazil)
MANTIKIR Blend (Brazil)
GOLD (in alphabetical order)
“AIU” ZAIT AGRONEGÓCIOS Koroneiki (Brazil)
AL ZAIT&CO Koroneiki (Brazil)
CASA MARCHIOKoroneiki (Brazil)
LOT EIGHT Blend (New Zealand)
OLIVARES DE SANTA LAURA S.A “Selección Limitada” – Blend (Uruguay)
SERRA DOS GARCIAKoroneiki (Brazil)
MANTIKIR Grappolo (Brazil)
SILVER (in alphabetical order)
“AIU” ZAIT AGRONEGÓCIOSBlend (Brazil)
ORFEUBlend (Brazil)
BEM TE VI Blend (Brazil)
VIRIDIAN OLIMAS S.A Blend (Argentina)
FAZENDA MARIA DA FÉ Blend (Brazil)
VERDE OLIVA BIODINAMICO Blend (Brazil)
_________________________________________________
Dear Producer, if your EVOO does not appear on the results list, please contact us: contact@olio-nuovo.com
“Are we really offering all the necessary tools to our children to give them a taste for the world around them, to teach them to appreciate its flavor and to cultivate their appetite for life?”
We believe that it is not enough to teach the children what is right and what is wrong, but also how does it work? Especially when it comes to taste which is the most personal matter.
The mission of the Olive Kids Awards is to educate children to understand taste with olive oil as a tasting tool: “understanding what they taste should be a child’s right”.
Olive Kids Awards proposes an educational approach upstream of food education based on taste-sensory education . For how can we appreciate a good product if it is not linked to the experience of taste, to pleasure and displeasure? Taste sensation is a daily functional exercise already in utero (from the 4 month of gestation).
With the OLIVE KIDS AWARDS our goal is to empower the children from an early age and to help them to tame their own taste.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The competition is open to children from 5 to 12.
To participate, they receive a special notebook (french or english) created by The OLIVE KIDS AWARDS with informations, instructions and score sheets:
How to produce Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Where is produced EVOO in the northern hemisphere? or southern depending on the edition.
What is taste and how does it work: retro + ortho olfaction
How to taste olive oil?
Score sheet with scoring retro + ortho olfaction + description
Samples (12 to 18) + disposable glasses.
They shall score all the samples (we recommend not more that 3 per day) and taste twice the best scored samples to give their N°1, N°2, N°3 and COUP DE COEUR.
This year, thanks to our jury member idea Issa, we asked the children to guess the country of origin in the list of the participating countries.
Good design is a concept defined by industrial designer Dieter Rams’s principles: It makes a product useful and understandable, is innovative, aesthetic, unobtrusive, honest, long-lasting, thorough to the last detail, environmentally friendly, and involves as little design as possible. Le bon design est un concept défini par les principes du designer industriel Dieter Rams : Il rend un produit utile et compréhensible, il est innovant, esthétique, discret, honnête, durable, soigné dans les moindres détails, respectueux de l’environnement et implique le moins de conception possible.
Graphic design is the art to communicate ideas or messages in a visual way. La conception graphique est l’art de communiquer des idées ou des messages de manière visuelle.
The ability to think independently and creatively, the quality of being novel or unusual. La capacité de penser de manière indépendante et créative, la qualité d’être nouveau ou inhabituel.
Authoritative, worthy of imitation. Traditional in style or form, or based on methods developed over a long period of time.
Qui fait autorité, mérite d’être imité. Traditionnel dans le style ou la forme, ou basé sur des méthodes développées sur une longue période de temps, et considéré comme ayant une valeur durable.
This 8th edition of Olio Nuovo Days was held on March 27, 28 and 29, with an international in-person jury of professional tasters and culinary professionals chaired by Nicolas Cloiseau, MOF, head of creation at LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT.
FERRANDI Paris hosted the QUALITY COMPETITION and MASTER CLASS for the first time.
With 133 selected entries, OLIO NUOVO DAYS is a niche competition dedicated to high end products. A unique opportunity to highlight excellence in the small world of french and Parisian gastronomy.
We are thrilled to announce the results of the QUALITY COMPETITION below:
BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OILS 2024 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
BEST OF SHOW
BEST OF SHOW MONTEOLIVA ORO presented at OLIO NUOVO DAYS MASTER CLASS by Mrs Esther FERRI PARRES, Andalucía TRADE Agency for the Promotion and Economic Development of Andalucia
Monteoliva Oro Pajarero, a monocultivar from Spain developed by José Antonio López, manager of the Cooperativa Olivarera Virgen de la Sierra de Cabra. “We are a cooperative in a small town located in the south of Spain,” says López, “so being the best extra virgin olive oils is a source of pride for all the farmers who make up our great family. Winning this award is a way of rewarding the good work of the farmer in such a complex year due to the scarcity of water in our region.” Pajarero is a unique olive variety from the Sierra de Cabra region in southern Spain. “It’s a very delicate olive oil developing its personality and complexity on the palate with smoothness”.
SCORING QUALITY OLIO NUOVO DAYS 2024
BEST IN CLASS
BEST MONOCULTIVAR: MONINI Monocultivar Frantoio (Italy)
Mr Obaid KHALFAN AL MAZROUEI, Director of Planning and Projects Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee in Abu Dhabi have entrusted organization of the Liwa Golden Olive Oil Competition to Emmanuelle Dechelette and CULTURE OLIVE.
The idea behind this competition late after the season was to highlight the stability of top quality Extra Virgin Olive Oils.
To support our statement the entries were open only to extra virgin olive oils already awarded with gold medal this year.
Held with a culinary journey in partnership with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (Jordan), Liwa Golden Olive Oil Competition was chaired by Chef Yousef Iqleim, Executive Chef of the school in Amman.
With a multicultural jury, coming from Brazil, Italy, Jordan, Korea and Palestine, this competition wanted to offer the most objective results as possible.
The award Ceremony will be held on September 28th at the festival. Pictures will be available on the 29th on this website.
The 5th edition of Olio Nuovo Days Southern Hemisphere was concluded in Chamonix Mon Blanc during the Summit Of Minds.
The Summit Of Minds, The MB Summits of Minds is a high level international gathering combining insights, wellbeing and investible ideas. All this with a unique emphasis on the power of nature and physical activity to enhance cognitive capacity.
Challenging the professional tasters, the participantswere invited to taste and vote for their favourite EVOO on the app of the event.
QUALITY COMPETITION, WINNERS FROM OUR PROFESSIONAL JURY ARE…
Nicolas CLOISEAU, LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT, President of the COMPETITION
Meilleur Ouvrier de France Chocolatier “MOF” (chocolate’s best craftsman). Nicolas Cloiseau is the Chef of La Maison du Chocolat and responsible of the chocolates’ signature, pastries and ephemeral collections of the Parisian house.
The Summit Of Minds, The MB Summits of Minds is a high level international gathering combining insights, wellbeing and investible ideas. All this with a unique emphasis on the power of nature and physical activity to enhance cognitive capacity.
Challenging the professional tasters, the participantswere invited to taste and vote for their favourite EVOO on the app of the event.
Like many other countries of the Mediterranean, olive oil is an important staple in Lebanon. As a small olive-producing country with a modest production, it gets less attention than the big producers. But this is where olive production began and the olive tree has its origins. The olive tree is native to Lebanon and has been growing here for thousands of years.
Home to the world’s oldest cultivar
The dominant olive variety growing in Lebanon is Souri, which is also endemic to other countries of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel and Palestine. Considered to be one of the oldest olive cultivars in the world, it is said to have originated from the southern Lebanese city of Tyre (also known as Sour). This is a ‘dual-purpose cultivar’ used for table olives as well as olive oil, and has a high oil content.
Harvest with SOLAR
There are close to a dozen different cultivars growing across the country, with the second most common being Baladi, while other notable ones include Ayrouni, Shami, Shetawi and Smoukmouki.
Production facts and figures
Figures shared by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture reveal that between 15,000 and 25,000 tonnes of olive oil are produced in Lebanon each year, of a which a quarter is extra virgin olive oil. Less than ten per cent of the total production is exported to other countries. There are about 400 olive mills located across the country.
Karim Arsanios is the fourth generation to inherit his family’s 1600 olive trees spread over three to four hectares in the remote village of Kour in northern Lebanon. Sharing the property with 200-year-old olive trees is a traditional stone house that has been in the family since the mid-19th century.
After a career in finance, followed by a stint in the US where he studied sustainable management, Arsanios returned to Lebanon for family reasons and since then has been taking care of his ancestral olive trees and producing high-quality extra virgin olive oil. This is in addition to working as a professional chef, two professions which complement each other.
“It’s a tree that has been around for millennia,” he says of the olive tree. “It’s one that has references in the Bible and the Koran. It symbolises peace but is also a tree that has helped the economy and people survive. Its olives, oil and wood have had many different uses. The olive tree has always been very generous and there’s a proverb by a poet that says that if you travel across the Middle East, there will always be an olive tree to provide you with shelter. It’s a tree that has given a lot to the people and for this reason people have a lot of respect for the olive tree.”
SOLAR EVOO Lebanon
On his olive farm, production methods follow organic principles. Pesticides are eschewed, and compost is used instead of fertiliser. Though such methods can mean lower yields, the goal for Arsanios is a quality end product. “We don’t spray anything on the trees and as a result we lose about 15 per cent of our crop,” he says. “This is a significant amount. But we simply let nature do its work and don’t intervene, so it’s a kind of biodynamic approach. We get visits from chickens from the farms next to us who provide natural fertiliser.”
Arsanios’ organic extra virgin Souri monovarietal, Solar, has been recognised for its high quality with awards from several international olive oil competitions. “I would say that there’s a lot of pepperiness,” he says of its taste profile. “It’s tangy, it’s bitter, it’s very grassy. When its first pressed, it smells like green tomatoes. When it’s heated up, it has sweeter notes.”
While producers in Lebanon haven’t faced the drought conditions experienced by other parts of the Mediterranean last year, changing weather patterns are a growing concern. “There have been lots of ups and downs in recent years,” says Arsanios. “It’s hard to predict how the next harvest will be. Our soil is pretty good for water retention and we’re next to a mountain water source so we don’t have to worry about drought. But now because of extreme weather events I’m a bit worried. For example, in January we had a week of 25 degree temperatures which is unusual. I don’t know how the trees will react and I’m already thinking of how to adapt in the future.”
The country’s ongoing economic crisis is perhaps posing the biggest challenge for Lebanon’s olive producers. Financial assistance from the government has evaporated, and increasing energy costs have driven up the cost of production. “We’re dealing with high energy prices and crazy inflation,” shares Arsanios. “And it’s a challenge to find enough workers. This instability is a challenge for small producers who are trying to take care of the land and may eventually put this industry in jeopardy.”
Lebgenco Olive Oil: Showcasing all of Lebanon’s unique flavours
Located in Baassir on the slopes of Mount Lebanon is Domaine du Bey, a centuries-old olive grove that’s been in Ibrahim Al Kaakour’s family for eight to 10 generations. “In Lebanon almost everyone produces olive oil or has a family member or neighbour who does. Olive oil is part of our identity and it’s something to be proud about,” says Al Kaakour of his country’s long tradition.
LEBGENCO Ibrahim Al Kaakour
His groves are made up of the native olive varieties of Souri and Ayrouni, with about thirds of the trees being of the Souri variety. “Souri is a very special cultivar,” he says of this native varietal. “It has a different profile from European cultivars and is one of the oldest cultivars in the world. It’s very nutty and very earthy, with a lot of notes of artichoke, pine nuts and black pepper. It pairs well with red meat, beans and yellow cheeses. It’s very different from Italian and Greek cultivars which are very fruity in general. If you use a European cultivar on Lebanese cuisine, it just doesn’t work. Our food calls for nutty, earthy, peppery profiles which you don’t find often in European cultivars.”
What started as a family business has now expanded with the creation of Lebgenco Olive Oil of which Al Kaakour is the founder and owner. Today the company is the most awarded brand in Lebanon with close to 80 products on offer. “We’re expanding because we have a lot of interest in our products,” says Al Kaakour. “Our focus now is on creating blends. This makes us the first blenders to work with Lebanese cultivars. We cultivate and buy varieties from several areas of the country and we’re the only ones who offer all the aromas that Lebanon has to offer, and all flavour profiles: low, medium, intense, fruity, earthy.”
ORCHARDS OF LAILA by LEBGENCO
Also on offer are olive oils infused with special flavours, with the most unique one being cardamom olive oil. The company has also added olive oil based cosmetics made with local ingredients and essential oils. Lebgenco’s products are currently available in the Czech Republic and Belgium, and soon in Austria.
With an eye on quality, the company is organic certified and uses only traditional cultivation methods. “But this makes the cost of production higher and our work more difficult,” Al Kaakour points out. “However the economic crisis is our biggest challenge. Companies need financing to grow and this is something we don’t have any more. Also because of the lack of government support we don’t have the tools to fight the fruit fly or diseases like peacock spot. And many lost money when the banks defaulted and had to restart from scratch.”
“I compare the olive tree to the Lebanese people,” he adds. “They say you are what you eat, and the olive tree is very resilient, at least the cultivar that we have is very resistant to heat, arid conditions and lack of water. The Lebanese are also very resilient. If you cut an olive tree, it grows back. We have the same traits. We’ve been through a lot but we still manage to rise again, like the phoenix.”
OLIO NUOVO DAYS 2023 is a very good year for our “boutique competition” with almost 120 entries from 13 countries: Algeria, France, Greece, Italy, Japan Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Usa.
During the 7th edition of Olio Nuovo Days held from 21-22 March 2023, over 120 olive oils produced in 13 countries (Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Tunisia and the USA) were entered in the competition for Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil. An international jury of professional tasters pre-selected 10 of these for the grand finale at the Ritz Paris presided over by renowned chef pâtissier François Perret. A special Design Prize was also awarded to the olive oil with the best packaging design by an international design jury chaired by Valérie Maltaverne, founder of the design firm YMER&MALTA.
The competition was held remotely with 15 juges to pre-select a top 10.
The top 10 Extra Virgin Olive Oils were tasted by an in person jury at Le Ritz Paris in Ritz Escoffier Culinary school with the famous Pastry Chef François Perret as President of the competition with 12 members of the jury.
Monteoliva from Spain among the top ten quality olive oils
Among the top ten extra virgin olive oils selected by the quality jury is Monteoliva Oro Pajarero, a monocultivar from Spain developed by José Antonio López, manager of the Cooperativa Olivarera Virgen de la Sierra de Cabra.
“We are a cooperative in a small town located in the south of Spain,” says López, “so being among the 10 best extra virgin olive oils is a source of pride for all the farmers who make up our great family. Winning this award is a way of rewarding the good work of the farmer in such a complex year due to the scarcity of water in our region.”
Pajarero is a unique olive variety from the Sierra de Cabra region in southern Spain. “It’s a very delicate oil on the palate,” explains López. “Its name comes from the sweetness of the olive, so much so that the birds eat it at the beginning of the campaign, hence its Spanish name ‘Pajaro’ or bird.”
“This is the second time we participated in Olio Nuovo Days,” he adds. “We think it’s a good opportunity to get direct and professional feedback from both tasters and restaurants. This part is essential to promote our product in France.”
BEST OF SHOW
BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 2023 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
The prize for Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2023 Northern Hemisphere was awarded to Jasa Couvée from Slovenia, a medium-fruity organic blend combining four varieties: Istrska Belica (Istrian White), Maurino, Leccino and Pendolino.
Though Slovenia is a small producing country, its high-quality extra virgin olive oils are attracting the attention they deserve.
“Big surprise and deep emotions,” this is how Arsen Jurinčič, the producer of Jasa described his reaction when he found out he won the top quality award at Olio Nuovo Days. “This is the biggest prize we won so far, and it’s a great promotion for Slovenia.”
“Our olives are picked at optimal ripeness and processed immediately,” he shares. “We use top processing machines and the technology of Officine Meccaniche Toscana, and the know-how of top oil maker Sandi Babič from Babičev. I must mention that the processing for five of the winning oils was done at his oil mill.”
Though it was the first time Jurinčič entered his Jasa olive oil into the Olio Nuovo Days competition, it had already collected several gold medals from many international competitions. Speaking about this new award earned in Paris, Jurinčič points out that quality inevitably reigns over quantity: “This new award is a confirmation that our planned path from the very beginning is moving in the right direction: we do not burden ourselves with the quantity of oil produced, but rather direct all our attention only on quality.”
Left to right: Mag. Breda Korošec Pooblaščena ministrica, Minister plenipotentiary in charge of economical affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Paris and Emmanuelle Dechelette, founder of OLIO NUOVO DAYS
DESIGN COMPETITION chaired by Valérie Maltaverne, YMER&MALTA
Herdade Do Esporão from Portugal wins the design award
After much careful deliberation, Valérie Maltaverne’s jury made up of a dozen style and art professionals, awarded the Olio Nuovo Days 2023 prize for Best Design to the Portuguese olive oil brand Herdade Do Esporão. “The design prize is just as important as one for quality,” says Maltaverne. “The design of a bottle includes its shape, colour, the label should relate to the brand, there should be a strong visual identity, and the bottle should be easy to pick up and hold. It should have a decorative aspect which adds to the aesthetics of the table.”
Antoine de Macedo, a watchmaker and founder of Horlogerie ADM, and specialist in collector’s watches, was one of the members of the design jury. A producer himself, he also has a passion for olive oil. “Judging the entries for the design prize wasn’t easy because each jury member has their own sensitivity and sense of aesthetics,” he says. “We were down to four bottles and spent a lot of time discussing our views of each one. The design prize is not only about good looks, we also considered how pleasant it was to touch and hold the bottle, while keeping in mind its practicality. With the chairperson’s guidance, we were able to come to an agreement and everyone was happy with the final choice.”
The design jury also presented an honourable mention (coup de coeur) to Château d’Estoublon from France for the exceptional design of the brand’s visual identity. “We are honoured to have won this award which recognises all the work put in by our team,” says Vérane Trachino, director of marketing and communication at Château d’Estoublon. “We put a lot of thought into the design of our new bottles and packaging. The new design hints at the hard work put into the olive groves on a daily basis as well as at our mill to produce our olive oils. We’re proud to have won this award just as we’re officially launching our new design.”
DESIGN COMPETITION, our TOP 5
BEST DESIGN Of Show
Good design is a concept defined by industrial designer Dieter Rams’s principles: It makes a product useful and understandable, is innovative, aesthetic, unobtrusive, honest, long-lasting, thorough to the last detail, environmentally friendly, and involves as little design as possible.
Authoritative, worthy of imitation. Traditional in style or form, or based on methods developed over a long period of time, and considered to be of lasting value.
French expression translated literally as “blow of heart” typically used when referring to things that someone really likes whether it be an object or a person (favourites or crushes).
This prize rewards the care brought to the Design but also to the care brought to the whole packaging as the label, in this case, the delicate & beautiful embossed label
When choosing an olive oil, a consumer has to rely on the information found on the bottle as well as the messages communicated by its label and packaging. A customer who’s unable to sample a product before purchasing it will judge it by what they can see.
A label should ideally reveal whether the olive oil is a monovarietal or a blend, its origin, and harvest date, etc. Meanwhile, the brand’s visuals, including the bottle, are what catch the eye. The design of these visuals can hint at the story behind the product, give an impression of its value and quality, and evoke emotions that ultimately persuade a purchase.
Design is communication
“Design is communication. Just like a writer chooses their words to communicate a message, good designers choose the right visual elements to also communicate a message,” says Carlo Angelini of Angelini Design, an Italian brand consulting and communication agency with offices in Paris, Rome, Torino and Shanghai that has worked on the branding and design of several high profile olive oil producers, as well as the visual identify of Olio Nuovo Days.
“When it comes to packaging, design is crucial,” he adds. “From the packaging you can tell the brand essence of a product, and understand what kind of brand it is, what kind of position it has and also its initial experience. The packaging is branding. It says who you are, what kind of brand you are. It’s a way to talk with the customer.”
When working with clients, Angelini’s process involves studying the visual as well as emotional layers of the brand to come up with a strategy that will be converted into a visual language. When it comes to the emotional layer, this refers to the feelings that are conveyed with the design and which hint at the quality of the product.
Transmitting emotions
For Italian olive oil producer Marina Gioacchini, feelings and emotions were vital to the rebranding process when she was working on creating a new visual identity for her brand Le Amantine last year. “I’m a very emotive and sensitive person who’s sensitive to art, so the new visual identity for Le Amantine was important to me,” says Gioacchini. “A label can immediately transmit an emotion and a message about the person who’s behind the product. It’s like a visiting card, but a lot more than that because it can transmit an emotion. Using visuals, I wanted to tell my story, one that’s based on the feelings and emotions that represent my olive oil business.”
Gioacchini worked with Verona-based graphic designer Massimo Pagliarin, a graduate of the reputed art academy Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, to come up with a new design for Le Amantine. “For me it was essential that the visuals communicate that it’s an Italian product. And of course that it’s a quality product, an olive oil of high quality. And we had to find a way to mention transmission and love. These two words kept coming back.”
Her olive groves in Tuscania, located in the Lazio region north-west of Rome, were planted by her grandfather, inherited by her father, and eventually passed on to Gioacchini. Hence the idea of the ‘transmission’ of family heritage, but also of values. “And love,” she adds, “because this work is a labour of love. You don’t make money from it. You put your whole heart into it.”
The new visual features stylised symbols of a sun, heart, olive fruit and olive leaf, connected via a golden thread representing family ties but also the continuity between the past and future. The soft, natural colours of each symbol hint at those of the local landscapes. “The soft pink of the heart is the colour of facades in Italy, while the blue olive was the suggestion of the artist,” shares Gioacchini. “I thought it should be green but he suggested blue because it opens up an imaginary world. Actually the olive grove is situated between a magnificent lake and the sea, so I liked this surrealist touch the blue olive gives.”
A label tells a story
Spanish producer Marina Segura wanted to tell the story of her family’s brand Peña Luna and its origins via the packaging of their monovarietal olive oils. It was her grandfather who first produced olive oil from the family’s trees in Seville and Malaga provinces. After his death, the family decided to build the company in his honour, and Peña Luna was born.
The striking black and white illustrations created by Spanish visual artist Isabel Cabello of Cabello x Mure capture the eye. At the same time they tell the story of the ‘legend’ of Peña Luna through a series of five images decorating the bottles containing the brand’s five monovarietals.
“The story behind the packaging is a mix of fantasy and reality,” says Segura. “It’s a story that was created by our family, and inspired by our grandfather. It’s based on the lands where our grandfather lived and tells the story of a young woman who’s in a moment of her life where she feels a bit lost. Her grandfather appears to her and gives her a vision that he’s there for a reason and the reason is to take care of his family and her loved ones by growing trees on their lands and making a good oil.”
Keeping it simple
For Anastasis Magganas, producer of Monogram extra virgin olive oil from Greece, the approach to packaging was to keep things simple, while communicating vital information about their products. “Our philosophy regarding the packaging is based on olive oil tasting and olive oil pairing,” says Magganas. “We want our customers to be fully informed about the product they are buying, that’s why we are focusing on the text and information on the front side of the packaging of each of our monovarietal olive oils.”
The brand’s striking typographic design stands out, while the elegantly shaped bottle and its stopper are pleasing to the eye. The aim of the design concept was to create a sense of harmony that would emphasise the well-balanced flavour of the product.
“The goal was to give as much targeted information to the consumer as possible,” adds Magganas. “Our idea was to simulate the packaging with a book, where the front of the packaging contains the book’s contents, in the same way that the consumer flips through a book, so that on each side of the box he can read the text with the information and history of each olive oil.”
It’s in the bottle
When it comes to olive oil, the bottle is an integral part of the packaging that not only protects its contents but can also convey a subtle message. It’s an important visual element that identifies a brand while also being tactile. Its weight and shape give a certain feel when held in the hands, and can add a decorative touch to a dining table.
A classic bottle shape with squared edges is the most common one seen in supermarkets and is associated with industrial olive oils produced for the mass market. This is why producers aiming to give their brand a more premium feel, look for a unique bottle shape that stands out.
For the Cypriot producers behind Olio Zo, the brand’s distinctive bottle is an important part of its visual identity. “The design of a bottle is important because the quality goes with the bottle,” says Andri Adamou. “The whole packaging is important and the bottle is part of it. The bottle we chose is flat, which is unusual for an olive oil. But it stands out and makes it ideal as a gift.”
The bottle used for their premium Olio Zo extra virgin olive oil was made in Italy, and hand-painted in Greece according to a design imagined by Adamou and her producer husband, Antonis. “We met many designers but didn’t really like anything so we decided to design it ourselves. We wanted a bottle that preserves the quality of the olive oil while letting you see its colour.”
The bottle is painted in white, with a vertical transparent line through which the colour of the olive oil is apparent. At first glance, this green line looks like it’s been painted. “By looking at our bottle, the buyer should understand that they’re getting something special – inside and outside,” adds Adamou. “This is an expensive product. People have told us to make another bottle that’s cheaper, and leave this design as a luxury product. But we prefer to have this bottle because it’s our identity. It takes hard work to make a premium high quality olive oil and this is reflected in the design of our bottle.”
A design prize at Olio Nuovo Days 2023
Design is an award category that’s been added as a feature of many olive oil competitions in recent years. At Olio Nuovo Days 2023, in addition to prizes for Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Best Pressed-Infused Olive Oil, and Health Claim, entries will also be judged for their visuals and packaging with a special prize awarded to the olive oil brand with the best overall design.
A special design panel of 11 professionals is tasked with judging entries and awarding the coveted design prize. Leading the panel is Valérie Maltaverne, founder of the art furniture and design firm YMER&MALTA, and recipient of the title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in recognition of her contribution to the survival of traditional French crafts.
“The design prize is just as important as one for quality,” says Maltaverne. “When choosing a product, you tend to select one with a design that appeals to you. This is part of the art de vivre. Olive oil for me is a luxury, it’s like a good bottle of wine. You don’t know what the taste will be like so the bottle is the first impression you have. Its shape, colour and label should relate to the brand, and there should be a strong visual identity, and at the same time a decorative aspect which adds to the aesthetics of the table.’
The Olio Nuovo Days design jury will be judging entries according to a range of criteria aiming to appraise a brand’s design, practicality, visual identity, informational details, originality and overall impression.
The world’s best olive oils are coming to Paris again this March during the 7th edition of Olio Nuovo Days. The Ritz-Escoffier School at the iconic Ritz Paris on place Vendôme will be the prestigious venue for this international olive oil competition taking place from March 22nd to 24th.
To join the Olio Nuovo Days Masterclass on March 24th, register your interest by contacting Olio Nuovo Days at north@olio-nuovo.com
