Extra Virgin Alliance - The Olive Oils

Castillo De Canena

The Castillo de Canena estate, where it grows its olive groves, is nestled in the municipality of Úbeda in Jaén, bordering the Sierra de Cazorla mountain range in the heart of the upper Guadalquivir Valley. The estate's Picual, Arbequina, and Royal olive varieties, along with new crops of Pico Limón, Zarza, Taggiasca, Don Carlo, Souriani, and Zaity, are grown in semi-intensive and traditional olive groves on slightly hilly, clay-loam soils, with gentle terrain and an average altitude of 500 meters above sea level. The groves are fully irrigated, creating a natural ecosystem where cultivation is based on a deep respect for the environment and nature. Modern precision agriculture and the most advanced systems for measuring the different phenological factors of the trees—which makes it possible to monitor the evolution of the other groves thoroughly—are combined with the maintenance of grass cover, the creation of compost, landscape restoration, the reintroduction of endangered species and the complete elimination of all types of pesticides.

With an olive-growing tradition that dates back to the late 18th century, it was in 2003 when the Vañó family, owners of the beautiful Renaissance castle that gives its name to the company, decided to create its brand focused exclusively on producing and marketing premium EVOOs. By monitoring the growth of the olive trees and the evolution of the fruit, they select the best groves on their estate. Then they harvest the olives at just the right time and transport the harvest in small crates to the estate's oil mill, its process, and products certified by numerous external quality control authorities. They are milled using constantly updated machinery, respecting the cold chain throughout the process, and producing premium quality EVOOs consistently year after year—intense fruity oils, powerful personality, harmonious and balanced.

Ongoing innovation, a trademark of Castillo de Canena's throughout its history, has not only been reflected in farming and its thoroughly modernized industrial processes but has also been reflected in the search for new, original, and unexpected products that are based on EVOOs and expanding their consumption opportunities by offering a wide range of uses and culinary applications. The company has experienced enormous international growth and is now available in over 50 markets. It was one of the first companies in its sector to have its Corporate Social Responsibility policies audited through certification to the FORÉTICA-regulated SGE-21 standard.