The eighth edition of the Mastro d’Oro competition reiterated a principle now consolidated in the world of extra virgin olive oil, namely that quality comes first and foremost in the oil mill. The initiative, promoted by AIFO (Italian Association of Olive Oil Mills) and unique in the national panorama for its exclusive attention to transformers, highlighted the strategic role of those who process the olives and govern each phase of extraction. Technique, experience and operational choices proved decisive in determining the final profile of the awarded oils.
The triumph of the Marche: Frantoio Agostini first overall
The competition took place on January 29th at the Fiera del Levante in Bari, as part of the conference “The value of oil is born in the mill” included in the Evolio EXPO 2026.
The overall winner is the Frantoio Agostini of Petritoli, in the Marche region. The 100% Italian Bio Ascolana Tenera oil won the title of Mastro d’Oro 2026, the result of careful processing and rigorous selection of olives. The jury underlined the technical precision of the production process and the ability to enhance the varietal identity without stylistic forcing, rewarding a balance between tradition and innovation.
Basilicata silver with character and structure
The second step of the podium went to Montanaro from Palazzo San Gervasio, in Basilicata. The mill convinced the commissioners with an Italian Coratina with a strong profile, capable of combining aromatic intensity, flavor solidity and varietal coherence. The silver medal certified not only the value of the individual producer, but also the growing centrality of Basilicata in the national olive oil panorama, increasingly recognized for its identity and well-defined oils.
Bronze to Puglia, the beating heart of Italian oil
On the third step of the podium was the Azienda Agricola Il Mandrione of Vieste, in Puglia, with Minerva Coratina. The recognition confirmed the key role of the region in the production of extra virgin olive oils with a strong personality, built on historical cultivars and on mill wisdom matured over time.
The presence of Puglia among the top three has strengthened the idea of an oil geography deeply rooted in the territories, capable of expressing different styles but always consistent with local characteristics.
A podium that crosses the Italy of oil
The final ranking drew an ideal map of Italian olive oil excellence, from the Marche to Basilicata up to Puglia. Three realities different in context and tradition, united by a rigorous approach to transformation and a quality-oriented production vision. The competition reiterated how the moment of milling remains the fundamental step in which the oil takes shape, the moment in which from a simple raw material it transforms into extraordinary sensorial excellence.
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Regional and monocultivar awards, praise of biodiversity
Alongside the overall podium, Mastro d’Oro 2026 awarded numerous awards to the best regional productions and to various monocultivar oils, a choice that enhanced the extraordinary Italian olive biodiversity and showed an increasingly widespread level of quality along the entire peninsula.
Special Mastro d’Oro Award 2026
The jury unanimously awarded the 2026 Mastro d’Oro Special Award to the olive oil master Sabino Angeloro, oil mill operator from Torremaggiore. The recognition rewarded professionalism, technical rigor, associative commitment and constant collaboration with the world of research.
The award was presented in the presence of Undersecretary Patrizio La Pietra, to underline the institutional importance of the sector and the cultural and economic value of Italian extra virgin olive oil.
