In 2000, Spanish extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) were hardly known outside of our country.

At the time, the large companies in our country

sold their oils to Italian producers

who marketed them as their own.

With this panorama and the Madrid Fusión fair in the background, the late Carlos Falcó, Agustín Santolaya (Aubocassa) and Alfredo Barral (Abbae de Queiles) conspired, back in 2004, to remove this product from anonymity.

It had to be explained, defended and promoted from the search for the highest quality, not so much from the business benefit, and, at the same time, from the respect for the environment.

On this basis, a year later,

Grandes Pagos del Olivar was born, which today has six members

: Hacienda Queiles (Navarra), Aubocassa, (Mallorca), and Marqués de Griñón (Toledo) were the founding partners.

These have been gradually joined by Marqués de Valdueza (Badajoz) in 2006, Castillo de Canena (Jaén) in 2012 and Casas de Hualdo (Toledo) in 2019. It could be said that they are the elite of the national aoves.

Belonging to this club implies meeting certain requirements.

The main one, that they are all

produced in one payment

, that is, a limited terroir that provides uniqueness and characterizes the extra virgin olive oil.

In search of that excellence through limited productions, the olive trees are controlled - and pampered - rigorously.

Payments are also required to reproduce the "chateau" concept typical of wine culture.

The shared philosophy also goes through

sustainability and innovation

.

The members work as a team, with a constant exchange of knowledge.

To be part of the club, applicants must pass an exhaustive examination by the members, which includes visits to the oil mills, quality controls and evaluation of the business approach, among other aspects.

Alfredo Barral, president of the association, is clear about its origin: "We all start the production cycle on the ground, in the tree, in the territory. First of all, we are olive growers; it is the only way to obtain excellent products."

Today Grande Pagos

has managed to place its oils in 60 markets around the world

.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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