World's Best Olive Oil 2025/2026: Winners & Ranking

The list of the World's Best Olive Oils 2025/2026 has been announced. At number 1 is Don Gioacchino from Puglia, followed by the Sicilian Único. In third place – and this is good news for Dutch connoisseurs – is Oro Bailén Picual from Andalusia, an oil you can simply order from us. Below, you can read who won and how this ranking is determined.

What is the World's Best Olive Oils ranking?

World's Best Olive Oils (WBOO) is a non-profit organization that has been compiling a global ranking of the best extra virgin olive oils since 2012. What makes it special: WBOO does not conduct its own tastings. Instead, the organization gathers the results of the strictest international competitions and adds them up according to a fixed points system.

This creates a ranking that does not rely on a single jury or a single country, but on a broad international assessment. An oil that ranks high has not just been lucky once — it has performed well in multiple independent competitions. You can find the full list on the official WBOO website.

The winners of 2025/2026

This year's top is dominated by Italy and Spain — the two largest olive oil producing countries in the world. This is the top of the ranking.

Rank	Olive Oil	Producer	Country · Region	Points
1	Don Gioacchino	Az. Agr. Leone Sabino	Italy · Puglia	465
2	Único	Miceli & Sensat	Italy · Sicily	365
3	Oro Bailén Picual	Aceites Oro Bailén Galgón 99	Spain · Andalusia	290
4	Monini Monocultivar Coratina	Monini	Italy · Umbria	285
5	Oro Bailén Picual Bio	Aceites Oro Bailén Galgón 99	Spain · Andalusia	280

Two things stand out. Firstly, the significant lead of winner Don Gioacchino: with 465 points, this Puglian oil leaves the rest far behind. Secondly, the strong performance of Oro Bailén: the Andalusian house places both its classic Picual (number 3) and its organic version (number 5) among the world's best. The organic Oro Bailén Picual Bio was also named one of the best organic olive oils in the world.

How is the ranking determined?

This is where it gets interesting. WBOO does not simply include every competition. Only the strictest, internationally oriented competitions count – competitions that work with trained, professional tasting panels and without commercial interests. For 2025/2026, there are six:

• Evooleum EVOO Awards (Córdoba, Spain)
• Expoliva (Jaén, Spain)
• Leone d'Oro (Italy — the country's oldest international competition)
• Mario Solinas Award from the International Olive Council (Madrid)
• Ovibeja (Beja, Portugal)
• Sol d'Oro (Verona, Italy)

Many of these competitions follow the rules of the Mario Solinas Quality Award, the strict tasting standard of the International Olive Council — the intergovernmental body that monitors global quality standards for olive oil.

For each competition, an oil receives points based on its position (from 50 points for the winner, decreasing to 15). In addition, there are bonus points for oils that meet the strictest quality criteria, up to a maximum of 100 points per competition. The final score is the sum over all competitions. Simply put: the more often and the higher an oil scores internationally, the higher it ranks in the WBOO list.

Why do fame or price not count?

An expensive bottle or a famous brand says nothing about this ranking. WBOO looks exclusively at blind, professional tasting results. Amateur panels and competitions with a commercial interest are deliberately ignored. As a result, the list purely measures sensory quality — aroma, taste, balance, and purity — and not the marketing surrounding it.

What makes Picual from Andalusia so special?

Picual is the most important olive variety in Andalusia and is known for its robust, spicy character with notes of freshly cut grass, tomato leaf, and a peppery finish. The variety is rich in polyphenols — natural antioxidants — which makes Picual oils not only full of flavor but also well preserved. The fact that Oro Bailén has been among the world's top with this for years shows the consistency of their production.

Tasting note — Oro Bailén Picual:

Aroma: intensely green, fresh grass, tomato leaf and a hint of almond
Taste: full and fruity with a distinct, pleasant bitterness
Texture: robust and present, with a peppery finish
Best use: over roasted vegetables, soups, grilled meat or pure on bread
Our score: 95/100 — a deserved world-beater.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best olive oil in the world in 2025/2026?

According to the World's Best Olive Oils ranking, Don Gioacchino from Az. Agr. Leone Sabino from Puglia (Italy) is number 1 for 2025/2026, with 465 points. In 3rd place is Oro Bailén Picual from Spain.

How is the World's Best Olive Oils ranking calculated?

WBOO aggregates the results of six of the strictest international olive oil competitions using a fixed points system. For each competition, an oil receives points based on its position plus bonus points for quality, up to a maximum of 100 per competition.

Which award-winning olive oil can I buy in the Netherlands?

From the 2025/2026 list, we sell, among others, Oro Bailén Picual (number 3), Oro Bailén Picual Bio (number 5), Olio Quattrociocchi Olivastro, and Frantoi Cutrera Primo DOP.

Why are there so many Spanish and Italian oils in the top?

Spain and Italy together account for the majority of global production and have a long tradition of quality olive oil. Andalusia (Spain) and regions such as Puglia and Sicily (Italy) deliver award-winning oils year after year.