3. Portugal
Points – 18
Up next is Portugal, another country that has the perfect climate to grow olives. Not only does the country grow several varieties of olives, but it also makes some pretty good oils. Out of the 33 different oils entered in the New York contest, 22 won awards.
One got the “best” title, 15 won gold medals and 6 got silver. Twelve different oils also made the Top 50 Best Olive Oils of 2014/2015, while the CARM Praemium won the fourth place among the best organic oils. This oil is made out of olives grown in the Douro Valley and sells for about $15 per 17 oz bottle.
Portugal exported about 53,000 tons of olive oil in the past year, which is quite an impressive feat. It’s not really a surprise, however, especially since there’s a tradition to produce olive oil, a culture if you will. There are numerous brands from Portugal, the products coming from numerous plantations across the country.
