Information
A History Our Essence
Over 70 years ago Mr. Muela Mateo Velasco, founder, decided that the future of olive oil was in the perseverance of the tradition, rather than massed production. With this wise decision, he became the first to demonstrate that in the olive oil sector, attention to quality may provide the best results.
Information
THE LEGEND: VENTA DEL BARON
This unique Olive Oil takes its name from the leyend of Baron Santaella.
After Baron Santaella murdered his wife in a jealous rage, king Enrique III sentenced him to build the Malmuerta tower. His progeny, dispossessed of the baronetcy, settled in the Sierra de Priego and devoted for generations to the olive, producing a fruity extra virgin olive oil of extraordinary quality. Once the king tasted this extraordinary product, he decided to restore the title of nobility.
THE LOCATION: PRIEGO DE CORDOBA
The PDO Priego de Córdoba is located in the very heart of Andalusia, partly in the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park and has a very small crop extension, hardly 30.000 hectares of centennial olive trees. These features, together with an unique microclimate, allow obtaining exclusive olive oils of extraordinary quality that are internationally recognized, as it happens with Venta del Barón.
The Regulatory Council of the PDO Priego de Córdoba monitors the quality of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a product that flags the Mediterranean diet.
THE PICKING: WISDOM IN THE HANDS
The gangs of olive pickers in the Sierra de Priego go ahead of time to collect the best selection of green olives at the beggining of the season. The varieties Hojiblanca and Picuda are deposited on the blanket under the olive tree and, once free of leaves and branches, carefully packed to avoid damage.
The olive pickers call it “combing or milking the olive tree”. In our family it is called wisdom and respect to a nearly 3,000 year old tradition.
THE MAKING: LESS THAN 15 HOURS FROM PICKING TO PRESSING
The Muela olive mill in Priego de Córdoba is the end of the road for the olive pickers. The olives will be cold pressed and the best juice selected according to the strict rules of the PDO Priego de Córdoba. Less than 15 hours are gone since the picking until the pressing, so the genuine aroma of the olives is preserved.
The result is a luminous oil, representing just 10% of what could have been produced through other methods. It is the first juice, flower of all oils, and will rest during 15 days to decant and become a real “Oleum ex Albis”
THE PLATE: THE PERFECT BOUQUET MAKER
The tasting: intense fruity olive green herbal notes, peppermint, almond shells, banana and apple. Reminiscent of vegetables such as tomatoes and artichoke.
The entrance is sweet, slightly bitter and spicy in progress. The aftertaste is nutty.
Very complex, balanced and harmonious in all its olfactory and gustatory attributes. The best bouquet maker for breakfast (with Rustic Bread), appetizers, salads and any complex dish.
