There is no such thing as “the best EVOO in the world”, just as there is no best book or best film.
We are sometimes asked about the best olive oil in the world, and our answer is always the same: is there such a thing as the best book, the best film, the best song?
KEY FACT
In its 13 years, Cortijo de Suerte Alta has been awarded 11 gold medals and 2 silver medals under the PDO Baena seal.
What truly matters is that the world of EVOO is a culture, and as such, its greatest value always lies in its richness, its variety and its ability to surprise us. We EVOO producers generally see other producers who share the same passion for excellence as collaborators rather than competitors. Our real competition is seed oils, refined oils and supermarket own brands.
How to Find Your Way Among So Many EVOOs
- Choose a shop that offers a genuine range of origins, varieties and formats, and avoid shelves with a limited selection sold in plastic bottles.
- Look for objective quality benchmarks, especially these three:
SIQEV seal from QvExtra Internacional: an association of producers founded in 2013 to promote knowledge of EVOO. Only oils that meet its standards (which are stricter than the official ones) may carry the seal, and compliance is monitored at the point of sale by independent laboratories. Cortijo de Suerte Alta has been a member of QvExtra since its foundation, and both Cortijo de Suerte Alta and Marqués de Prado are awarded the SIQEV seal every year.
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO): a guarantee of authenticity, origin and quality protected by the European Union. PDO Baena, to which Suerte Alta belongs, lies in the geographical heart of Andalusia, with rolling limestone soils, low rainfall and the Picudo, Hojiblanca, Picual and Pajarero varieties grown across 60,000 hectares. In 13 years, Cortijo de Suerte Alta has been awarded 11 gold medals and 2 silver medals under this seal.
Organic Farming: a guarantee of sustainability and freedom from chemical residues. Suerte Alta is certified by the CAAE, and also holds certifications for the European Union, the United States and Japan.
Quality competitions: Spain is the world’s largest producer of EVOO, in both quantity and quality, as borne out by the awards its brands receive at national and international competitions.
Frequently asked questions
Not objectively: EVOO is a culture with an enormous diversity of varieties, origins and profiles, just as there is no “best book” or “best film”.
The SIQEV seal from QvExtra Internacional, a Protected Designation of Origin and the Organic Farming seal are the three most reliable benchmarks.
PDO Baena, the oldest in Spain, located in the geographical heart of Andalusia.
Sirven como referencia objetiva: los productores de calidad presentan sus aceites a certámenes nacionales e internacionales y publican los resultados obtenidos.
