Lodi Olive Oil Ascolano from Calivirgin Olive Oils & Rye Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup from Finding Home Farms Win Specialty Food Association's sofi™ Product of the Year

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Sep 22, 2020, 09:04 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The virtual red carpet was rolled out at Specialty Food Live!™ last night, as the Specialty Food Association (SFA) announced the 2020 sofi™ Award winners for Product of the Year. Tying for the highest honor are Lodi Olive Oil Ascolano from Calivirgin Olive Oils and Rye Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup from Finding Home Farms. The two products earned the highest score from more than 1,800 product entries from SFA members. The judging took place from July 27 – August 3 at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center in Bridgeton, NJ.

Lodi Olive Oil Ascolano from Calivirgin Olive Oils is made from hand-picked olives that produce an olive oil with a fruity aroma, medium intensity and mild pepper finish.

"We have seen California olive oils come a long way in the past 20 years," said Mike Coldani, Co-Owner. "Our Family is proud to represent the Lodi region and be recognized on a national stage which to date has only been well known for its wine grape production."

Rye Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup from Finding Home Farms is a partnership between two local farms to incubate rye flavor into maple syrup.

"We are thrilled that our Rye Barrel Aged Maple syrup made with our partner, Orange County Distillery, has won Product of the Year in this year's Sofi competition," said Dana Putnam, co-founder. "For a natural product made by two neighboring New York Farms, to win such a prestigious award is truly special and amazing."

"The sofi Awards represent the best products in the innovative specialty food industry," said Ron Tanner, vice president of education, government & industry relations of the Specialty Food Association. "These two companies from opposite sides of the U.S. exemplify the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that fuel this growing industry."

The Specialty Food Association has been presenting sofi Awards since 1972. The complete list of sofi winners, announced in August, can be found here.

About the Specialty Food Association

Founded in 1952 in New York City, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) is the leading advocate for the $148.7 billion specialty food industry. Representing makers, importers, entrepreneurs, retailers, distributors and others in the trade, the SFA aims to champion, nurture and connect its members to deliver traditional and innovative new products to consumers that expand consumption of specialty foods. With over 3,800 member companies, the Association helps its members through providing information, research, educational events, and celebrating the industry through its awards programs. The SFA is known for hosting the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.

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SOURCE Specialty Food Association