Spain's Small Olive Oil PDOs: Varieties, Regions and Brands
More than two dozen protected areas, rare varieties like Royal de Cazorla and Argudell – and which brands you can actually get hold of from Switzerland.
Topic
Spain
PONS olive oil: a portrait of the Catalan family firm that picks early
PONS olive oil from L'Albagés in Catalonia's Garrigues: family history since 1945, Janiroc early harvest oils, verified awards and where to buy them.
The first oil of the season: why early-harvest, unfiltered Picual is so prized
Why early-harvest, unfiltered Picual is the most prized olive oil of the year, how long it keeps, and why "first cold pressed" is a legacy term.
Pantry gold: why wealthy investors put money into olive oil brands and first-harvest oils
Olive oil as an investment: why funds and wealthy families buy brands, groves and first-harvest oils, and where the idea of pantry gold breaks down.
Castile and León Producers Spain
Olive Oil from Valladolid: The New Olive Groves of Duero Wine Country
New olive plantations have grown on the plateau around Valladolid since 2008. How Oliduero, Pago de Valdecuevas and Los Vivales deal with frost and altitude.
Castile and León Spain Quality
Olive Oil from Castile and León: Spain's Little-Known Olive Country
7,441 hectares of olives between Gredos and the Duero: where Castile and León makes olive oil, why it harvests early and what the oils taste like.
Picual: The Olive Variety That Shapes Jaén and the World Market
About a quarter of the world's olive oil comes from one variety. A portrait of Picual: origin, chemistry, flavour, the PDOs of Jaén and buying it in Switzerland.
Olive Oil in al-Andalus: History, Trade and Uses in Moorish Spain
How olive oil shaped Moorish Spain: the oil of the Aljarafe, Arab agronomists, cookbooks, the lamps of Córdoba's mosque, soap from Triana and medicine.
Eusko Label: Basque Olive Oil, Arróniz and Basque Cuisine
Eusko Label extra virgin olive oil from Rioja Alavesa: what the Basque quality label means, the Arróniz variety, brands, history and a pil-pil recipe.
Arbequina: The Mild Catalan Olive That Conquered the World
Arbequina profile: origins in Arbeca, the Les Garrigues PDO, flavour, shelf life compared with Picual and how to use this mild olive oil in the kitchen.
Private-Label Olive Oil in Spain and France: Hacendado, Carrefour, Leclerc & Co. Tested
How good are supermarket own brands? In Spain all 23 oils passed the OCU test; in France only 5 of 20 passed at Que Choisir. The results at a glance.
Pas de la Casa: Is Buying Olive Oil in Andorra Worth It?
Why the French shop in Andorra, what extra virgin olive oil costs there, which taxes apply and how much you may take back to France or Switzerland.
Why Spanish Olive Oil Ranks Among the World's Best
Spain supplies over 65 per cent of EU production; three of the 24 bottles we track in Switzerland name it. Figures, the 2025/26 competitions and what to buy.
Artajo: A Portrait of Navarre's Award-Winning Olive Oil
Artajo of Fontellas is the world's best organic mill: varieties, early harvest, why no PDO seal is on the bottle, and how to get the oil in Switzerland.