This week we went to Córdoba to visit one of the most important olive oil mills in Spain: Almazaras de la Subbética. And of course, we took the opportunity to interview its director, José Antonio Nieto. José showed us every corner, told us about his projects and even gave us a high-quality olive oil tasting. It was a great visit to Priego de Córdoba, where we also had the presence of Francisco Chacón, commercial director of Almazaras de la Subbética in Catalonia.
And now, without further ado, I leave you with the interview:
Do you think you're an olive oil nut? Some people have told me that I'm on the verge of going to a mental institution.
How old were you when you started to feel passion for olive oil? In an area like ours, where people live by and for the olive grove, I imagine that we all have the passion running through our veins. For some it comes out earlier and for others later. In my case, I was 26 years old.
They say you have a privileged nose. Who taught you to taste olive oil? Don't pay attention to that kind of comment. They are unfounded rumours from people who love me too much. As for the subject of tasting, due to special circumstances and because I had no other choice, I would say that I was fairly self-taught, although there were always references in the sector who gave me a hand, such as Brígida Jiménez or Anuncia Carpio.
How many oils have you tasted this week? To be exact, in 7 days, 191 samples.
What is the key to getting Almazaras de la Subbética oils to be present in so many countries and to win so many awards? I like to say that we are a 5P . Landscape , characterized by a mountain olive grove. Everyone talks about the sea of olive trees in Jaén and I always say that ours is also a sea, but in tsunami mode. In this landscape we find our Picuda and Hojiblanca varieties and, to a lesser extent, the Picual , all of them within the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park.
People , olive growers, who live for and by the world of the olive tree. We are not a press of two or three generations, no. We are a society of more than 4,000 families who have been linked to this wonderful tree for more than 2,000 years. We have been lucky that our ancestors knew how to work these difficult lands and that legacy, generation after generation, has come down to us. Hopefully we will be able to transmit it to those who come after us.
Professionals . A large part of our secret, in addition to the know-how of our farmers who pamper the fruit throughout the entire process, from the field to the mill, is in the high level of qualification and preparation of all the technical staff at the mill, as well as the facilities in which we carry out our work.
Product. That unique fruit, linked to the terroir of the DOP Priego de Córdoba .
Passion . Do you think any of this would be possible without Passion?
A very high percentage of sales are made to foreign markets. What is the reason? Fortunately, every day the culture of EVOO gains followers all over the world. It is a pleasure, a luxury for the senses to enjoy olive juice and if you add to that the concept of health, we have the perfect formula.
Would you like your children to be involved in the oil business when they are older? I would like my children to be involved in what makes them happy, in what makes them put the word passion at the centre of their lives.
You work hard, don't you? That's what my wife says, but as my grandfather also used to say: "Scabies with pleasure..."
400,000 square metres of facilities, with state-of-the-art machinery. There is a huge investment in technology and its maintenance. Yes, as I was saying, Almazaras de la Subbética is committed to having the best facilities that allow us to obtain the best products.
How long does it take from picking the olives from the tree until they are put up for sale on origenoliva.com? If you put them up for sale in August, wait, let me do the math: November, December, January… No, I'm joking. We try to shorten the time increasingly. The milling is done within a few hours of the olives arriving at the mill and in some cases in real time: they arrive, fall into the hopper and are ground. From that moment on, we are ready to serve Origen Oliva.
Which oil are you most proud of? Mentioning my wife again, and as she often says: “you’ll see your other children soon”, how could I love one more than the others! Some are more intelligent and others more constant. Each has its moment of creation, its birth and each has its use, which the other may not be able to carry out.
How would you define Parqueoliva Gold Series? Wow. A very intelligent child, who is very hard to raise and educate, but who once he has become an adult, is a source of pride. An intense person, without being overwhelming, complex without being difficult to understand.
And what about Alma Oliva Gran Selección? Constant, balanced and tireless. What we would call a medium-profile person, pleasant to deal with and almost suitable for any use.
Rincón de la Subbética oil has received praise from all over the world. How would you describe it? Subtlety, elegance and personality in abundance.
There is an increasing demand for organic olive oil. Is Almazaras de la Subbética also making a strong commitment to this? Yes, there is an increasing demand every day and at Almazaras we are aware of this process, which is why we encourage our members to make the switch to organic and environmentally friendly farming.
Tell me a couple of oils that you like from the competition. You know, I've always thought that oils are a true reflection of the personality of those who bring them into the world. I love Alfredo Berral, he's a calm guy, who transmits a lot of calm. Abbae de Queiles is that, an oil for moments of relaxation. José Gálvez is a great guy. He's a restless, passionate person who is always thinking about changing things. For those more intense moments, without a doubt, Oro Bailén.
Do you think that in Spain we should have more information about the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil ? I think that we should have not just much, but a lot more information. This sector still has a lot of work to do and one of them, if not the main one, is to make consumers aware that EVOO is almost a walking medicine.
Accredited scientific studies certify that the consumption of quality extra virgin olive oil slows the development of breast cancer, for example. How do you feel knowing this? I feel like I want to know more, much more. I insist, we need to invest more in our doctors and researchers and make the results of their research known.
At Almazaras de la Subbética, more than 4,000 families make their living from olive groves. How do you handle this responsibility? It is a responsibility shared with an excellent team of professionals, from the President, Francisco Serrano, who has been in office for a whopping 37 years, to the latest worker who has joined the team.
And now what? What is the next project? We have many open fronts and we want to continue to strengthen the lines of collaboration with our Partners (oops, another P, maybe in the end we are 6P). We want to continue researching in Alma Oliva EVOO to help Patatas Fritas San Nicasio and Chef José Andrés in the frying of their fabulous chips. Or Comaxurros for their reinvention of the fried churro in EVOO. Developing the best Organic Chocolates with our BIO range. Adjusting the profiles to pair with Anchoas Codesa. Developing with Senén González the oils for his tortillas. Working with Juanjo Ruiz from La Salmoreteca to achieve the perfect assembly in salmorejos. In short, looking for uses and enjoyments of EVOO that can be transferred to the consumer and, always, seasoned with that pinch of Passion.
