An Expert’s 8 Favorite Spanish Olive Oils
Joanne Lacima at Rincon
Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil. But with so many varieties and styles, choosing the right bottle can be challenging. Olive Oil Professor spoke with Joanne Lacina, olive oil judge and founder of Olive Oil Lovers, to get her picks for the best Spanish oils available stateside. Olive Oil Lovers works with small to medium producers to bring some of the highest quality oils across the pond and into American kitchens, selling online directly to consumers and chefs throughout the country.
Who is Joanne Lacina?
Joanne Lacima
Lacina first got the olive oil bug while she was living in Greece. She started working for a business in Crete that was looking to set up operations in the U.S., so Lacina came back over to help set up a facility in New Jersey near the ports. “At that point in 2008 there was not great quality oil on the shelves,” she says. Feeling disillusioned with the traditional methods of getting high quality oils into supermarket distribution, she launched Olive Oil Lovers in 2010 with the goal to make high-quality olive oils accessible to more people.
Lacina later did her official training in ONAOO ( Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Olio Di Oliva ) in Liguria, Italy as well as an Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes course in New York City, where she was the first person in the world to ever to score 100%. “They were very impressed an American was the first to get a perfect score,” she says.” Her knowledge and acute nose help her acquire some of the best olive oils for her portfolio. And as more people traveled to Mediterranean destinations and began to purchase more gourmet foods online, her business took off.
Where to Buy Olive Oil
When it comes to purchasing a good bottle of Spanish olive oil, you may be inclined to reach for the most expensive bottle at the grocery store. But Lacina asks us all to think again. She discourages producers from selling in American supermarkets because they simply won’t sell well or at least not quickly enough. “Olive oil is like fruit juice,” she says. “it has an expiration date.” If they are able to somehow move bottles quickly, most small producers can’t keep up with the demand and high cost of investment. Most of what you can find in the supermarkets is mass-produced but low quality. For fresh quality olive oils, specialty markets or online retailers are filling the gaps. We’ve linked to the producers, but you can purchase these bottles from Olive Oil Lovers or check with local markets that specialize in olive oil.
What You Should Know About Spanish Olive Oils
Joanne Lacima at Morellana
To start, Lacina says it’s important to understand that each country has a few core varietals. Spain in particular has three dominant olives, which are mostly found in Andalucía, the most southern autonomous community and highest-producing area of the country. Picual, hojiblanca, and arbequina are the three kings, and they are also the most widely sold on an international level.
If you’re just beginning to explore Spanish olive oils, Lacina suggests starting with monocultivars, or single-variety oils made from one type of olive. “Monocultivars are interesting because you get the core flavor of each one and see how they differentiate and vary from producer to producer,” she says. From there, explore blends or coupages, which are just as delicious.
8 Favorite Spanish Olive Oils
Every bottle Lacina suggests has won at least one international award for its taste and aromas. “I also look for companies who show a clear passion, commitment, and high level of professionalism to what they do and take great care and pride in the products they are making,” she says. Lacina has personal relationships with many of her producers— she visits their mills and checks in on them regularly throughout the season, from first bud to harvest.
Here are her picks for some of the best Spanish olive oils available in the U.S.:
Oro Bailén Picual
Oro Bailén Picual
This oil from the region of Jaén in Andalucía was the first picual to capture Lacina’s heart. “Picual had a bad reputation up until about ten years ago,” she says. It was picked when the fruits were overly ripe or even pressed from olives that had fallen on the ground, creating an almost skunky flavor. When the family started harvesting the olive green, producers in the area thought they were crazy because the yield is so much lower. But a young harvest produces a fresh and healthy oil that Lacina describes as very aromatic and vibrant. When she first met the owners of Oro Bailén, Lacina says they didn’t even want to tell her the oil was Picual. “Sometimes picuals can be a bit too strong,” she says. But this is more medium robust and approachable, “with lovely apple and tomato vine flavors, with well-balanced fruit, bitterness, and pungency.” Lacina always keeps a bottle of this in her kitchen. “They were the leading pioneers of green picuals,” she says. “They’re wonderful people and I love what they do.”
Rincón de la Subbética
This mill was one of the leaders in the Hojiblanca trend and produces an organic variety from the Córdoba region of Andalucía; it is also a part of the D.O.P (protected designation of origin) of Córdoba. “I love oils that are very tomato-forward and this oil is like a summer ripe tomato on the vine,” says Lacina. Their styles are very consistent and they continue to make high quality oil year after year. It’s a very aromatic oil, medium robust, and also very approachable. “I love doing tastings with this oil because I love seeing people’s reaction to the aromas.” This oil can be paired with practically anything, but she especially loves it on pan tumaca (bread with tomato).
Pago Baldios San Carlos Arbequina
This is Lacina’s favorite style of arbequina. “Arbequina is softer and sweeter. It’s what chefs gravitate towards because it is versatile and is not going to fight with the dish,” she says. “It lends a sweetness and elevates the flavors without overpowering.” Some styles of arbequina can be a bit strong, but this bottle from the autonomous community of Extremadura is soft and sweet with dried fruit aromas. She recommends using this oil to finish fish or dress salads.
Oro Del Desierto Lechín
“The gold of the desert” couldn’t be a more appropriate name for this 100% Lechín variety. The oil hails from the Almería region of Andalucía, whose terrain is reminiscent of the deserts of the American wild west. But when you drive to their groves, “the land opens up into this bowl— it’s a kind of green oasis,” says Lacina. When the father of the owning family first decided he wanted a completely organic grove, everyone thought he was crazy. But he really believed in sustainable practices. Today their farm is incredibly biodiverse, with massive pigs as well as wild horses running through the land, which serve as their natural herbicide. There is an aqueduct on site to water the trees and the whole family works in the business. This lechín variety is a personal favorite of the owner’s son; it’s the variety he grew up tasting in his mother’s cooking. This type of lechín olive is unique in that it’s very local and produces a softer, sweeter oil with a hint of pepperiness. “It’s very versatile and fantastic on fish,” says Lacina.
Masia El Altet High Quality
The Masia El Altet mill is located in the Valencia area near the town of Alcoy and is set on a beautiful mountainous estate. Because of the high elevation, they harvest much later than most groves, and also produce unique indigenous varieties of olives. This bottle in particular is a unique coupage, or mix of various olives, which are thoughtfully blended to create a consistent profile each year. Along with picual and arbequina, you’ll also find genovesa, alfafarenca, and blanqueta fruits. The patriarch of the family bought the farm as a passion project and they now sell bottles to Michelin star restaurants all over the country. At one point they had an exclusive bottle with chef Joel Robuchon. “This was one of the first premium oils to come out of Spain and they have built a great reputation,” says Lacina. This coupage is their signature oil— it is very green and herbaceous but not too overpowering or bitter.
Morellana Organic Picuda
Picuda is the fourth most common variety in Spain and this picuda comes from the Baena D.O.P. in Andalucía; it grows amongst the rolling hills and sprouts up from burnt orange soil. The farmers in this region are very proud of the picuda variety, and this oil from the Morellana mill is soft and versatile, perfect for grilled or roasted winter vegetables, or even meats, depending on the year (some years it is softer than others). “You don’t see this variety as much,” says Lacina, “it mainly just grows in Andalucía.” The descendents of the Lopez brothers, who now run the mill, have received a number of awards for their oils.
Nobleza del Sur Day & Night
Exquisite packaging on these bottles reveals an even more exquisite oil. “The packaging reflects the quality of the oil inside,” says Lacina. Owner Lola Sagra, a twelfth generation olive oil producer, relies on her talented artist friends to create standout labels for her 100% organic oils milled in Jaén. The Day and Night oils are an ideal duo: Day is made from a pungent and robust picual— designed to wake you up with its pep—and Night is a softer, smoother, and sweeter arbequina. “Lola is a fiery, driven women and I have a lot of respect for her,” says Lacina,
Castillo de Canena Smoked Arbequina
When Lacina first visited these groves in Jaén in 2012, the family of the Castilla de Canena mill was still in the process of becoming biodynamic. She recently returned and had the privilege of walking through their biodynamic farm, which she describes as a nature grove. “I was there in the spring and was there in time to see the flowering of the trees,” she says. “I was covered in pollen!” These folks are creating innovative oils and veering from tradition while also maintaining a superior quality. This bottle in particular is their cold-smoked variety of arbequina. “They don’t use any heat so you can still really taste the arbequina in the background,” she says. It’s a great oil for smoked salmon, baked potatoes, or even as a vegetarian touch to replace bacon flavors. Read more about Castillo de Canena.