Arbequina oil originates from the town of Arbeca, in the Les Garrigues district of Lleida, which gave the variety its name. There are several legends about how it reached Catalonia: either from Majorca, brought by King James I, or from Palestine in the 18th century, brought by the Duke of Medinaceli.
KEY FACT
Spain devotes some 75,000 hectares to the production of Arbequina, the most widely grown variety in Catalonia.
Around 75,000 hectares are currently devoted to its production in Spain. It is the most widely grown variety in Catalonia and one of the ten most produced in the country, and it is on the rise thanks to how well it adapts to super-high-density olive groves, its early bearing and its mild flavour.
Organoleptic profile
Arbequina EVOO is milder than Picual or Hojiblanca, with predominantly fruity aromas: ripe banana, fruit purée and green apple on the nose, a sweet entry on the palate and, if high in polyphenols, a pungent finish. Similar varieties include Arbosana (Spain), Leccino (Italy), and Chemlali and Chetoui (Tunisia).
Suerte Alta’s Marqués de Prado
We add 15% Picual to our Arbequina, which brings complexity, polyphenols and stability. The Arbequina provides the sweet entry and the final pungency in the mouth and throat, with aromas of apple and green banana; the Picual contributes a gentle bitterness and aromas of green leaf, almond, tomato plant and citrus.
The olives come from our El Cañuelo estate, near Mairena del Alcor (Seville), grown in a low-density hedgerow (750 trees per hectare), rain-fed and organic. Yields are half those of a conventional irrigated super-high-density grove, but with far higher levels of fruitiness and polyphenols than conventional Arbequina oils. Our Arbequina oils contain around 400 ppm of polyphenols.
Frequently asked questions about Arbequina oil
From Arbeca, a town in the Les Garrigues district (Lleida).
15% Picual, to give it complexity and stability.
From the El Cañuelo estate, near Mairena del Alcor, Seville.
Arbosana in Spain, Leccino in Italy, and Chemlali and Chetoui in Tunisia.
