The eighth edition of the Mastro d’Oro competition has ended, the only national competition entirely dedicated to oil millers and promoted by AIFO (Italian Association of Oil Mill Workers). This year too, the initiative reiterated a central fact for the olive oil sector: the oil mill is the true qualitative hub of Italian extra virgin olive oil, the place where technical skills and operational choices determine the final value of the product.
The overall winner: Marche on the top step
The competition took place on January 29th at the Fiera del Levante in Bari, on the occasion of the conference “The value of oil is born in the oil mill”, in the context of the Evolio EXPO 2026. The title of Mastro d’Oro 2026 was awarded to the Agostini oil mill in Petritoli, in the Marche region. Taking first place overall was the 100% Italian Bio Ascolana Tenera oil, an expression of careful processing and rigorously selected raw materials.
Second place in Basilicata
The silver medal went to Montanaro from Palazzo San Gervasio, in Basilicata, awarded for an Italian Coratina oil which convinced the jury for its structure, balance and varietal coherence.
Third place to Puglia
On the third step of the podium was the Azienda Agricola Il Mandrione of Vieste, in Puglia, with Minerva Coratina, confirming the central role of the region in the production of oils with character and identity.
A podium that talks about the oil supply chain
The final result ideally crosses Italy’s oil industry, from north to south, and conveys the image of a supply chain built on consolidated skills, precise technical choices and a quality-oriented production vision. In this context, the daily work of transformation remains the decisive moment in which excellence takes shape.
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Regional and monocultivar awards: biodiversity enhanced
In addition to the overall podium, the competition awarded numerous awards to the best regional productions and to various monocultivar oils. A choice that has highlighted the extraordinary Italian olive biodiversity and 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 rewards professionalism, technical rigor, associative commitment and constant collaboration with the world of research. The delivery took place in the presence of Undersecretary Patrizio La Pietra.
