Origin, Production and classification of the olive oils

The olive is the fruit of the olive tree. Botanically, it is a drupe, like a cherry, plum or peach.

Like all drupes, it consists of an outer skin (the epicarp), a fleshy middle layer (the mesocarp), and a hard inner stone (the endocarp), which contains the seed.

The olive has two characteristics that make it unique among drupes. Firstly, its flesh is not sweet but bitter (so don't be tempted to eat an olive straight from the tree – you'll quickly regret it!). Secondly, and more importantly, its flesh contains a large quantity of oil.

This is significant because the oil can be extracted using only mechanical processes, such as crushing, pressing or centrifugation. By contrast, extracting oil from seeds generally requires the use of chemical solvents.

The juice obtained from olives using only mechanical processes is known as Virgin Olive Oil.

Like any fruit juice, virgin olive oils are of high quality when they are produced from healthy olives harvested at the optimum stage of ripeness, processed shortly after harvesting, and extracted using suitable production methods.

According to their quality, virgin olive oils are classified into the following categories (from highest to lowest):

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the highest-quality category of olive oil.
2. Virgin Olive Oil, the second-highest quality category.
3. Lampante Olive Oil, which is not suitable for human consumption.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Virgin Olive Oil are commercial categories whose classification requirements are defined by legislation.

By contrast, Lampante Olive Oil, or simply lampante, is not suitable for consumption and must be refined before it can be consumed. After refining, it is no longer classified as a virgin olive oil.

This classification can be slightly confusing because all three are types of virgin olive oil, while one of the categories is itself called Virgin Olive Oil. To avoid confusion, throughout this website we use the plural term virgin olive oils when referring to the general group, and the singular term Virgin Olive Oil only when referring to the second-highest quality category.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest-quality category of virgin olive oil.

For an olive oil to be classified as extra virgin, it must meet two requirements: a chemical requirement, represented by its acidity, and a sensory assessment of its flavour and aroma, carried out by trained tasting panels.

Many people do not understand why a tasting panel is needed to classify an extra virgin olive oil. In fact, tasting is required for the classification of all virgin olive oils because, like fruit juice, much of their quality lies in their aromas and flavours. At present, no laboratory instrument can assess these characteristics as accurately as the human nose and palate.

Requirements for an olive oil to be classified as extra virgin

1.- The acidity must be 0.8º or lower.

2.- In a tasting panel, the median of the defects must be zero, and the median fruitiness must be greater than zero.

In addition to these two requirements, the legislation includes several other analytical parameters designed mainly to detect fraud or mixtures with other oils, rather than to classify virgin olive oils.

What does it mean when the median of the defects is zero?

The olive oil is assessed by a tasting panel made up of several experienced tasters, normally between seven and twelve. Having several tasters helps to increase the objectivity and reliability of the final result.

Let's suppose the panel consists of nine tasters. Each taster scores the most intense defect detected in the olive oil. If no defect is detected, the score is zero. Once all the tastings have been completed, the scores are arranged from the lowest to the highest, as shown below:

The median is the score given by the fifth taster, because it is the middle value when the scores are arranged from lowest to highest. In this example, the score is 0.0, so the median of the defects is zero.

If the panel has an even number of tasters, the median is calculated as the average of the two middle scores.

Now let's suppose the same tasters evaluate the fruitiness of the olive oil. Once again, the scores are arranged from the lowest to the highest:

Note: The latter Regulation introduced the requirement to include nutritional information on food labels. This requirement became mandatory from 13 December 2014.

Virgin olive oil is the second-highest quality category among virgin olive oils, below extra virgin olive oil and above lampante virgin olive oil.

1) Requirements to classify an olive oil as "virgin olive oil"

To be classified as virgin olive oil, it must meet two conditions:

1.- Its acidity must be less than or equal to 2°.

2.- In a sensory assessment, the median of the defect must be less than or equal to 2.5, and the median of the fruity attribute must be greater than zero.

Like extra virgin olive oil, legislation establishes additional chemical requirements, mainly aimed at detecting possible fraud through the presence of blends with other oils.

Regarding the sensory requirements, a simple way to explain them is that virgin olive oil may have a low-intensity defect but must also have fruity aromas and flavours. If you would like to know exactly how these median values are determined, you can read our article about extra virgin olive oil.

2) Labelling

Virgin olive oils must include the following information on their labels:

"Olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means."

Lampante olive oil has traditionally been considered the lowest-quality category of virgin olive oil. It has a high level of acidity, together with unpleasant flavours and aromas that make it unfit for direct consumption. The name lampante comes from its traditional use as a fuel for oil lamps.

According to current Spanish and European legislation, a virgin olive oil is classified as lampante when it does not meet the requirements to be classified as Virgin Olive Oil. It is therefore classified as lampante if it meets any of the following criteria:

1. Its acidity exceeds 2 grams of free oleic acid per 100 grams of oil (more than 2%).
2. In the official sensory panel test, the median of the defects is greater than 2.5.
3. In the sensory evaluation, the median fruitiness is zero.

Lampante olive oil typically has an unpleasant taste and aroma, together with a high level of acidity. Its colour may also differ from the characteristic green and golden tones of extra virgin and virgin olive oils. It is usually produced from olives that have deteriorated due to pests, frost, or remaining on the ground for an extended period before being collected.

As with the other categories of virgin olive oil, the legislation also establishes additional chemical parameters to prevent fraud and ensure correct classification.

Due to its poor quality, lampante olive oil cannot be sold directly to consumers. Before it can be consumed, it must be refined.

The characteristics of lampante olive oil are so poor that it is not suitable for human consumption. These oils have a high level of acidity, very unpleasant flavours and aromas, and, in some cases, an unusual colour.

To make lampante olive oil suitable for consumption, it must undergo a series of chemical and physical processes collectively known as the refining process, which remove its undesirable characteristics. The drawback is that many of these processes also remove the compounds responsible for the beneficial properties of olive oil.

Some of the refining processes described below are intended solely to improve the appearance of the oil and are not related to making it suitable for consumption.

Stages of the olive oil refining process

1. Degumming. By adding water and phosphoric acid, compounds such as phospholipids and gums are removed. These substances may cause the formation of deposits in the bottle (see sediments in olive oil), which are considered unattractive to consumers. Unfortunately, some desirable compounds, including certain proteins, are also removed during this process.

2. Neutralisation. This stage removes the oil's acidity. Caustic soda is used to neutralise the free fatty acids, reducing the acidity to almost zero. However, the process also removes a significant proportion of the carotenoids, including compounds with provitamin A activity.

3. Bleaching. This process removes the substances responsible for the oil's colour, mainly carotenoids and chlorophyll. The oil is treated with activated bleaching earth at approximately 100 °C.

4. Deodorisation. Heat is used to remove the compounds responsible for unpleasant tastes and odours. As most of these compounds are volatile, they are eliminated by passing steam through the oil at temperatures of 200–250 °C. Free fatty acids are also removed during this stage. Unfortunately, most tocopherols, sterols and polyphenols, together with their valuable antioxidant properties, are also lost.

5. Winterisation. This process removes triglycerides with a high melting point, allowing the oil to remain liquid at lower temperatures. The oil is cooled, causing these triglycerides to solidify so that they can be separated. As with degumming, its main purpose is to improve the appearance of the final product (see olive oil sediments).

The final product obtained after refining lampante olive oil is refined olive oil. It can be said that, from the original composition of virgin olive oil, almost only the triglycerides remain, as most of the unsaponifiable fraction has been removed. The unpleasant colour, taste and aroma of lampante olive oil disappear, but so do many of the compounds responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of virgin olive oils.

As a result, refined olive oil is a colourless, odourless and virtually tasteless vegetable oil. It differs from other vegetable oils mainly because of its high oleic acid content, which is the principal nutritional characteristic retained after refining. In this form, refined olive oil cannot be marketed directly, as it would not be accepted by consumers. Before being sold, it must be blended with virgin or extra virgin olive oil to provide colour, flavour and aroma.

More recently, there have been attempts to replace the chemical refining stages, particularly degumming and neutralisation, with more intensive physical treatments involving higher temperatures and longer processing times. Although this approach avoids the use of chemical substances, prolonged exposure to heat may alter the composition of fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3).

Refined olive oils, as explained here, are essentially a colourless, odourless, and tasteless fat. In this state, they are not suitable for direct consumption because they lack the sensory characteristics expected by consumers, and therefore they cannot be marketed as such.

Furthermore, during the refining process, olive oil loses practically all of its unsaponifiable fraction, whose compounds are responsible for many of the beneficial properties associated with virgin olive oils.

To make it suitable for consumption, refined olive oil must be blended with virgin olive oil or extra virgin olive oil to provide colour, flavour, and aroma.

The proportion of virgin olive oil in the blend is generally quite low, usually between 10% and 15%. The mixture of refined olive oil with virgin or extra virgin olive oil forms the commercial category known as "olive oil", which is the best-selling olive oil category in Spain. On the label, consumers can read: "contains refined olive oils and virgin olive oils exclusively", without any indication of the exact percentage of each type of oil in the blend.

The main requirement for this blend is that its acidity must be less than or equal to 1°.

What are "intense" and "smooth" olive oils?

These terms, used within the "olive oil" category, are not currently regulated by legislation. They are generally considered to be similar to the former categories of 0.4° and 1°, which were removed because they could confuse consumers by suggesting that acidity was an indicator of quality in olive oils that are not virgin.

Intense and smooth olive oils differ according to the proportion of virgin olive oil used in the blend. Rather than indicating the exact percentage of virgin olive oil, the industry generally uses these terms as a way of describing the sensory intensity of the product.

Intense olive oils have a stronger flavour because they contain a higher proportion of virgin olive oil. Smooth olive oils, on the other hand, contain a lower proportion of virgin olive oil and have a milder taste. Therefore, if you choose to consume the "olive oil" category, we recommend selecting an intense olive oil, as it will generally contain a higher proportion of virgin olive oil.

Early harvest olive oil is olive oil obtained from olives harvested at veraison, the stage when they begin to change colour from green to purple, or even slightly earlier.

There is no fixed date for the early olive harvest, as it depends on the region, the olive variety and the weather conditions. However, it generally takes place between the beginning or middle of October and the middle of November.

At this time of year, temperatures can still be relatively high in some areas. For this reason, special care must be taken during harvesting to avoid damaging either the fruit or the olive trees. Harvesting should therefore be carried out during the coolest hours of the day.

The oil yield of early harvest olive oils is lower than that of traditionally harvested extra virgin olive oils. While traditional harvesting usually produces an oil yield of around 20–25% of the olive's weight, early harvested olives typically produce only around 12–14%. This means that significantly more olives are needed to produce the same quantity of olive oil.

It should be noted that the term "early harvest" is not defined by any legislation, and therefore there are no official controls governing its use. It is a quality designation created and adopted by extra virgin olive oil producers themselves.

Characteristics of early harvest olive oil

Early harvest olive oils are characterised by their bright green colour, due to their higher chlorophyll content, and by their fresh, herbaceous aromas and fruity flavours. They are generally more intense and fruitier than olive oils produced from riper olives, which, although still excellent, tend to display softer and more mature flavour profiles. They also tend to be more robust, with more pronounced bitterness and pungency.

In addition, early harvest olive oils generally have lower acidity and lower peroxide values (which indicate the level of oxidation). They also contain a higher concentration of polyphenols and other natural antioxidants, making them olive oils with greater health benefits.

The move towards early harvest extra virgin olive oil

Only a few years ago, the term "early harvest olive oil" was virtually unknown. Olive growers, particularly those belonging to cooperatives, harvested their olives with the aim of maximising both the weight of the fruit and its oil yield. In Puente Genil, according to local tradition, the harvest usually began on 8 December, after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

However, small privately owned olive mills, such as Las Valdesas, began producing this type of olive oil.

Gradually, more producers, including cooperatives, have started making early harvest olive oils, setting aside part of their crop for this purpose. These oils are highly valued internationally and are becoming increasingly popular among Spanish consumers. Official figures reflect this trend: production has grown from around 5% of total olive oil production in 2010 to approximately 20% in 2016.

The term pomace was formerly used to refer to the remains of the olives after the extraction of virgin olive oil.

Pomace was composed of the pulp, skin, and stones, together with water and a residual amount of olive oil, typically between 2% and 3%. Today, with the use of two-phase olive mills, the by-product obtained is called alperujo. It is a compact mass made up of the same components and contains a similar percentage of olive oil.

To extract this small amount of olive oil, chemical solvents are used, most commonly hexane. This process is carried out in pomace extraction plants.

Obviously, this is not virgin olive oil. It is known as crude olive-pomace oil.

Crude olive-pomace oil has the same fatty acid profile as oil extracted by physical processes. However, like lampante olive oil, it has a high level of acidity and undesirable aromas and flavours, making it unsuitable for consumption. It must therefore be refined.

Once crude olive-pomace oil has been refined using the same process applied to lampante olive oil, it becomes refined olive-pomace oil. Like refined olive oil, it has no flavour, aroma, or colour and is not suitable for direct consumption.

Finally, as with refined olive oil, refined olive-pomace oil is blended with virgin or extra virgin olive oil to provide flavour, colour, and aroma. This final product, which is suitable for consumption, is known as olive-pomace oil and can be found in shops and supermarkets.

More types of olive oil

Here you can learn about all the types of olive oil and their origin.

There are several methods used to produce virgin olive oil. These range from the most traditional systems, which use a stone mill, hydraulic presses and natural decantation in settling tanks, to the most modern technology based on the two-phase centrifugation process. All of these methods have one thing in common: they use only mechanical and physical processes.

Below we explain the stages involved in producing virgin olive oil using the two-phase extraction system, the most advanced process currently available and the one we use at Las Valdesas.

1)    Reception of the olives at the olive mill

The olives arrive at the olive mill, where the first step is to remove any leaves collected during harvesting. The olives pass through an air separator, where a stream of air blows the leaves away. These leaves are then used to produce compost.

If the olives are covered with mud or dust, they are washed in an industrial washing machine before processing. Finally, they are weighed and conveyed to the milling stage.

2)    Crushing the olives

During this stage, the olives are crushed to produce an olive paste. This is carried out using a hammer mill, in which high-speed rotating hammers force the olives through a screen with openings typically between 3 and 5 mm. By selecting different screen sizes, the miller can produce a coarser or finer olive paste.

3)    Malaxation (kneading the olive paste)

In our opinion, malaxation is one of the least well-known stages in olive oil production. After crushing, the olive paste contains between 15% and 20% olive oil. The remainder consists of water, fragments of olive stone and solid vegetable matter.

The challenge is that the olive oil is dispersed throughout the paste in tiny droplets, making it difficult to separate. During malaxation, these small droplets gradually combine to form larger ones that can be extracted more efficiently.

This process takes place in stainless-steel malaxers fitted with slow-moving paddles that gently mix the olive paste.

The malaxers are surrounded by a jacket through which warm water circulates, allowing the temperature of the paste to be carefully controlled. Higher temperatures reduce the viscosity of the oil, making it easier for the droplets to combine. However, excessive heat also reduces the oil's aromas and flavours. For this reason, the highest-quality extra virgin olive oils are produced by cold extraction (What is cold-extracted olive oil?). During malaxation, the temperature is typically maintained between 25 °C and 35 °C.

Malaxation is therefore one of the most important stages in olive oil production. The miller carefully controls both the temperature and the duration of the process, which typically lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.

4)    Extraction by centrifugation

Once the olive paste has been prepared, the extraction stage begins. This is carried out in a horizontal centrifuge commonly known as a decanter centrifuge. The process separates the different components of the olive paste according to their density. Olive oil is the least dense component, followed by vegetation water, while the solid residues, including fragments of olive stone and pulp, are the heaviest.

The decanter consists of a horizontal cylindrical drum that rotates at approximately 4,000 rpm. The centrifugal force pushes the heavier components towards the outer wall of the drum, while the lighter olive oil remains closer to the centre. As the olive paste moves through the machine, the different phases are separated and discharged through dedicated outlets.

5)    Vertical centrifugation

Although the decanter separates most of the solid material, the extracted olive oil may still contain tiny particles of olive pulp and small amounts of water. These are removed using a vertical centrifuge.

During this stage, a small quantity of water is added while the oil is spun at high speed. Thanks to the difference in density, the water carries away the remaining solid particles and impurities. Once this final cleaning stage has been completed, the olive oil is transferred to stainless-steel storage tanks.

6)    Storage and filtration (optional)

The olive oil is stored in stainless-steel tanks under an inert atmosphere to protect it from oxidation. Even after vertical centrifugation, the oil still contains tiny amounts of water and microscopic vegetable particles, which gradually settle to the bottom of the tanks through natural decantation.

Most olive mills filter their olive oil immediately before bottling. Filtration gives the oil a bright, clear appearance and prevents natural sediments from forming in the bottle.

Other producers filter the oil immediately after vertical centrifugation or a few days later. At Las Valdesas, however, we prefer not to filter our olive oils, allowing them to clarify naturally through decantation, both in our storage tanks and, over time, in the bottle itself.

Organic olive oil is olive oil produced in accordance with the European Regulation on organic production and the labelling of organic products (EU Regulation 2018/848).

We are going to be a little more specific.

What is the difference between organic olive oil and conventional olive oil?

Las Valdesas produces Organic olive oils and Integrated Production olive oils (a production scheme between conventional and organic production). The differences between organic and conventional production are mainly based on the cultivation methods and the management of the olive grove, according to the following aspects:

1) Pest Control. Organic cultivation does not allow the use of synthetic pesticides. Instead, alternative methods must be used, such as traps, encouraging the proliferation of natural predators of pests, the use of olive-tree varieties resistant to frequent or endemic pests, or heat treatments (as used against Verticillium). It is also possible to use, in a restricted way, an approved list of natural products (of animal, vegetable, microbial or mineral origin) to fight pests.

2) Weed Control. As with pest control, synthetic herbicides are not allowed for weed removal. Some organic farmers graze herds of sheep or goats among the olive groves to eliminate weeds. This has the added advantage of providing organic fertiliser to the soil. We cut the weeds and remove them from around the base of the olive trees using manual machinery.

3) Fertilisers. Organic olive oil farms cannot use synthetic fertilisers (Urea Ammonium Nitrate, etc.). Only organic fertilisers of animal origin (manure) or vegetable origin (compost) may be used. In our case, we use alperujo from our mill to produce compost, which we incorporate into the soil after a maturation process of about a year. From our point of view, it is more expensive, since the application and spreading of compost is considerably more expensive than applying urea through the irrigation water or by foliar application.

With all the above requirements, we are able to produce organic olives. The following measures must be taken during the organic olive oil production process:

1) Upon reception at the mill and during the processing stage, olives and olive oil must always be in contact with stainless steel, food-grade rubber (for the conveyor belts) or food-grade resins. We began doing this more than ten years ago, when we started producing Integrated Production olive oil.

2) In mills like Las Valdesas, which grind organic olives and Integrated Production olives, it is necessary to follow a strict traceability process by controlling when each type of olive is milled. This aspect was already required for Integrated Production.

3) Analytical tests for pesticide residues are carried out to confirm that the olive oil is free from them. We have been carrying out such tests for many years on our Integrated Production olive oils, and the results have always shown the absence of pesticide residues.

Buy Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil->>

Does organic olive oil have a better taste than a conventional one?

Let us be clear on this point: We are convinced that producing olive oil according to organic methods does not result in higher quality than olive oil produced by conventional methods.

The key aspects of producing a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, such as obtaining olives in perfect condition, harvesting them at the right stage of ripeness, milling them quickly after harvesting, at a low extraction temperature, and preserving the olive oil against oxidation, are not determined by the organic farming method. On the contrary, organic farming may even make them more difficult to achieve.

We are convinced that an experienced olive oil taster is not able to distinguish, in a blind tasting, an organic extra virgin olive oil from another extra virgin olive oil produced by conventional methods.

In other organic products, such as eggs, chicken or meat, the fact that they come from organic production can contribute to their quality, and this may be appreciated by the consumer. However, in the case of olive oil, we believe that this is not possible. We think so because conventional extra virgin olive oil is already a natural food: it is olive juice and contains neither preservatives nor additives.

Then, why buy organic extra virgin olive oil?

We believe that there are two reasons:

1) For health and food safety. By consuming organic extra virgin olive oil, you have the confidence of consuming an olive oil without traces of pesticides or other contaminants.

2) To contribute, through your purchase, to environmental sustainability, by supporting a production system that is more respectful of natural resources.

Are ecologic olive oil, biological olive oil and organic olive oil the same?

Yes, all these terms refer to the same product, produced according to the rules of organic farming.

In some countries, such as Spain, the word "ecologic" is more commonly used, whereas in France they prefer "biological". In Germany, both terms are used.

European regulations cover both terms, ecological and biological, and allow the use of both "Bio" and "Eco" in their labelling.

"Organic" olive oil is used as a synonym for the previous two terms, although it is not included in the official labelling.

Another adjective that is also used is "biodynamic", originating from the world of wine. As far as we know, in order to describe a product as biodynamic, it must first have been certified as organic.

How are organic food producers controlled?

European Regulation (2018/848) specifies that the control of organic food producers is carried out by a control agency, i.e. private companies authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture to certify that producers comply with all the requirements of the European Regulation.

They request documentation from the producer and carry out field audits to detect possible fraud. They inspect machinery and tools, and take samples of soil, leaves and fruit if they consider it necessary. They also monitor the traceability of the organic olives until they are processed into olive oil and placed into storage.

The control agency that certifies the olive oils of Las Valdesas is CAAE (Andalusian Committee of Ecological Agriculture), which, despite its name, is a private company. It is the most experienced company in Andalusia in organic farming.

Labelling of organic olive oil

The control agency logo may also be included, although this is optional.

Las Valdesas organic olive oil

Las Valdesas organic olive oil comes from the expansion of our olive groves, following the purchase of an adjoining plot. It covers about 34 hectares of Hojiblanca and two other plots of intensive Arbequina olive groves.

The land was purchased in 2015, and the field must be farmed for three years under the organic farming regulations before its olives can be certified as ecological. Therefore, in the 2018/2019 season, we will have organic olive oil available for sale.

It will be available as a blend of the two varieties mentioned above, and only in a 2.5 litre can.

In the map below, you can see the location of the new ecological plot, shown in green, within our olive groves.

There is often a great deal of confusion about the different types of olive oil and the differences between them. Below you will find an overview of the main categories, grouped into families.

Virgin olive oils – obtained exclusively by mechanical processes

This family of olive oils is the most natural. Like freshly squeezed fruit juice, they are produced without the use of chemical solvents or treatments. They are made in olive mills. According to their quality, there are three categories:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is the highest-quality category of olive oil. It has a free acidity of no more than 0.8% and must be free from sensory defects. It can be sold directly to consumers. (more information)

Virgin Olive Oil. This category is of slightly lower quality than extra virgin olive oil. It may have a free acidity of up to 2% and minor sensory defects. It can also be sold directly to consumers. (more information)

Lampante Olive Oil. This oil has a free acidity above 2% and significant sensory defects, giving it an unpleasant taste and aroma. It is not suitable for direct human consumption and must be refined before it can be marketed. (more information)

Olive oils obtained using chemical extraction

After virgin olive oil has been extracted, the remaining olive paste (known in Spain as alperujo) still contains a small amount of oil. This oil is extracted using solvents, usually hexane, in specialised extraction plants. The resulting product is known as crude olive-pomace oil. It is not suitable for sale and must always be refined. (more about olive-pomace oil)

Refined olive oils

Lampante olive oil and crude olive-pomace oil are refined because their taste and aroma make them unsuitable for consumption.

The refining process produces the following oils:

Refined Olive Oil. Produced by refining lampante olive oil. It is colourless, odourless and virtually tasteless. It cannot be sold directly to consumers.

Refined Olive-Pomace Oil. Produced by refining crude olive-pomace oil. Like refined olive oil, it is colourless, odourless and virtually tasteless, and it cannot be sold directly to consumers.

You can learn more about the olive oil refining process here.

Blended olive oils

Olive Oil. This is the most widely consumed type of olive oil in Spain and probably one of the most common worldwide. It is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin olive oil. The proportion of virgin olive oil, which is not usually indicated on the label, is typically between 10% and 15%, with the remainder being refined olive oil. (more information)

Olive-Pomace Oil. Like olive oil, it is a blend of refined olive-pomace oil with a proportion of virgin or extra virgin olive oil.

Summary

According to European Union legislation, there are eight categories of olive oil. Three are virgin olive oils (extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil and lampante olive oil), one is obtained by solvent extraction (crude olive-pomace oil), two are refined (refined olive oil and refined olive-pomace oil), and the remaining two are blends (olive oil and olive-pomace oil).

Of these eight categories, only four may be sold directly to consumers:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (virgin)
• Virgin Olive Oil (virgin)
• Olive Oil (a blend of refined and virgin olive oils)
• Olive-Pomace Oil (a blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oils)

Subcategories of extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil may also carry additional designations when it complies with specific production methods or certification schemes:

• Cold pressed. Produced by traditional pressing at temperatures below 27 °C.
• Cold extracted. Produced using modern extraction methods at temperatures below 27 °C. (more information)
• Integrated Production. Produced in accordance with the rules of the relevant Integrated Production certification scheme.
• Organic. Produced in accordance with the requirements of organic farming regulations. (more about organic olive oil)
• Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Produced in accordance with the specifications established by the relevant PDO regulatory body.

Other subtypes of extra virgin olive oil without an official regulatory framework

• Filtered or unfiltered extra virgin olive oil. (more information)
• Single-varietal olive oils, produced from a single olive variety (Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina, etc.). (more information)
• Early harvest olive oils, produced from olives harvested between October and early November. (more information)
• First cold pressed or first extraction olive oils. Today, almost all extra virgin olive oils are obtained during the first extraction. Oils produced from a second extraction, traditionally known as second-press oils, are almost always classified as lampante olive oil. Only in exceptional circumstances can virgin olive oil be obtained from a second extraction. (learn more about first cold pressed and first extraction olive oils)

Other more or less questionable subtypes

Some terms frequently found on labels are intended mainly for marketing purposes and are not regulated quality categories:

• Olive oil from ancient olive trees. In our opinion, the age of the olive tree has no direct influence on the quality of the olive oil.
• Mountain olive oil or countryside olive oil. These descriptions may reflect the growing area, but any differences are generally imperceptible to most consumers.
• Rain-fed or irrigated olive oil. Although cultivation methods differ, the resulting differences in the oil are usually minimal from the consumer's perspective.

Former designations

Pure olive oil was the former commercial name for what is now simply called olive oil. This designation has no longer been permitted since 1987, when the current olive oil classifications were introduced.

Ironically, the term pure olive oil referred to a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil, rather than to a single, unprocessed product. At the time, the designation helped distinguish olive oil from fraudulent blends containing cheaper vegetable oils.

The olive harvest marks the beginning of the olive oil production process. The olive grove has been carefully managed throughout the year in preparation for this important agricultural task. The quality of the final product will largely depend on proper planning, the timing of the harvest, the harvesting techniques and equipment used, the ripeness of the fruit, and, ultimately, the experience and knowledge of the workers involved. The main objective is to bring together all these factors in order to obtain the highest possible quantity of fruit while maintaining the highest quality standards.

What is the optimal period for olive harvesting?

As with other crops, olive harvesting requires a careful assessment of the factors that determine the optimal harvesting time. These factors include the type of plantation, olive variety, harvesting methods and techniques, and the stage of fruit ripeness. Regarding the fruit itself, olives gradually increase in size and, from a certain point onwards, begin to undergo changes in colour that indicate their stage of maturity. Several factors are taken into account when determining the ideal time for harvesting:

• Oil content in the fruit.
• Evolution of oil quality within the fruit.
• The olive tree’s resistance to the mechanical forces applied by harvesting machinery.
• The harvesting dates of the previous crop.

The oil content of the fruit increases as the olives mature. The maximum level is reached when the green olives have disappeared from the tree. The organoleptic characteristics of the fruit, and consequently of the oil obtained from it, gradually decrease as harvesting is delayed. The most fruity and aromatic oils are obtained at the beginning of the ripening process, even when a proportion of green olives is still present.

At Las Valdesas, we begin harvesting our olives between the end of October and the beginning of November. As we produce five different varieties of olive oil (Hojiblanca, Arbequina, Picual, Manzanilla, and Frantoio), we stagger the harvest according to the ideal ripening point of each variety. Our oils are early harvest oils, with the aim of producing highly fruity oils with outstanding culinary qualities while also achieving the highest possible concentration of polyphenols (compounds naturally present in olives with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). Learn more about polyphenols in our oils.

What are the olive harvesting systems?

The use of different harvesting systems (with varying degrees of automation) depends on the level of technological development of the farm and the type of olive grove plantation. Olive groves can generally be classified as follows:

• Traditional planting: These are olive groves with a low density of trees per hectare (between 80 and 120), usually arranged in a square pattern with 10–12 metres between trees. Olive trees often have two or three main trunks to increase production.
• Intensive planting: These olive groves have a density of between 200 and 600 trees per hectare. They consist of single-trunk olive trees planted at spacings of 6 × 6 metres or 6 × 3 metres, with 6-metre working lanes. Harvesting in these plantations is usually carried out using tree shakers with catching umbrellas or mechanical shakers combined with rods and collection nets.
• Super-intensive planting: These plantations have a density of between 1,200 and 2,000 trees per hectare. In this type of olive grove, harvesting operations are fully mechanised.

The harvesting systems, ordered according to the traditional nature of the techniques used (from the most traditional to the most advanced), are as follows:

1. Hand picking: The worker operates from the ground or uses ladders, running their hands along fruit-bearing branches and allowing the olives to fall onto nets previously spread beneath the trees. The cost of harvesting using this method is very high because it is a highly traditional and labour-intensive system with a low collection rate.
2. Beating with poles: The worker uses a pole between one and four metres long to strike the olive branches, ensuring that the blows are applied sideways to the areas where the olives are located, avoiding damage to the tree, as this could affect the following year's production. As with the previous method, the olives fall onto nets placed beneath the trees and are then transferred to transport containers for delivery to the olive mill.

1. Tree shaking: This technique consists of attaching a mechanical arm to a tractor or using a handheld device that shakes the tree or branches until the olives fall due to the vibration. The olives are collected on nets placed beneath the tree. When using a tractor-mounted shaker, the device is attached to the trunk of the olive tree; when operated manually, it is attached to the branches. The latest development in this type of harvesting is the use of machines known as “buggies”, which also work through vibration but offer greater manoeuvrability within the planting rows.

What are the stages of olive harvesting?

The olive harvesting process for olive oil production can be divided into the following stages:

• Soil preparation. This includes cleaning the area to facilitate the later collection of olives, as well as adapting the planting layout so that the rows are wide enough to allow harvesting machinery to move easily.
• Fruit collection. Olives can be harvested directly from the tree (“tree-harvested olives”) using one of the techniques described above, or collected from the ground after naturally falling from the tree as they mature. Naturally, olives collected from the ground are more mature than those harvested directly from the tree and, consequently, the quality of the oil obtained from them is lower.
• Transport. When olives are collected onto nets placed beneath the trees, it is essential to remove leaves, branches, and other plant debris both in the field and later at the olive mill. The time between harvesting the olives and milling them at the olive mill should be kept as short as possible, and the transport method used should minimise any possible damage to the fruit.

During the 1990s, when the definition of the highest-quality category of olive oil was still evolving, the term "extra virgin olive oil" was the most commonly used designation.

Later, and quite logically in our opinion, the preferred Spanish designation became "virgin extra olive oil".

We believe this is the more logical wording because the adjective extra qualifies the adjective virgin, which in turn modifies the noun olive oil. In other words, among all virgin olive oils, those classified as extra are considered to be of the highest quality.

Put another way, all olive oils classified as extra are virgin, but not all virgin olive oils qualify as extra.

Therefore, the correct Spanish designation for the highest-quality category is "virgin extra olive oil", as established in the relevant legislation.

You can verify this by looking at the labels of the vast majority of Spanish extra virgin olive oils, where this designation appears because its inclusion is mandatory.

In any case, both Spanish terms refer to exactly the same product and the same quality standards.

You can learn about the requirements that a virgin olive oil must meet in order to be classified as extra by visiting the following page.

Interestingly, in France the most widely used designation is "huile d'olive extra vierge".

In English, following the conventions of the language, the correct designation is "extra virgin olive oil".