Olive Varieties

The quality of Trás-os-Montes olive oil begins with the diversity of the olives used in its extraction. The predominant varieties that grow in Trás-os-Montes olive groves are:

• Cobrançosa – Olive that contributes to a balanced oil, with bitter and spicy notes.
• Verdeal Transmontana – Olive that contributes to an oil with a more intense fruity flavor and a slight touch of astringency.
• Madural – Olive that produces a smoother and more aromatic oil, with less spiciness.

The result is a complex olive oil with a balance between frutado, amargo e picante. A intensidade destes atributos, como já vimos em artigos anteriores, depende do ponto de maturação da azeitona e do método de extração.

Climate and Soil

The geography of Trás-os-Montes plays a fundamental role in the quality of the olive oil. The region has a climate considered mediterranean and continental, characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters. These conditions favor the slow maturation of the olives, and the typical Trás-os-Montes frosts also bring benefits to the olive trees.

Another determining factor is the soil. In Trás-os-Montes, the soils are predominantly shale and granite, which influence the composition of the olive trees and its olives. These soils, generally poor in organic matter, force the roots to dig deeper to find nutrients, which ends up resulting in more intense oils rich in natural antioxidants.

Production Methods

Olive oil production in Trás-os-Montes is based on traditional, non-intensive olive groves, and at the same time there has been an effort to introduce technological innovations that guarantee the quality and sustainability of the sector.

Harvest

• In many olive groves, harvesting is still done manually, ensuring that the olives are picked at the right time of ripeness.
• There is also use of mechanized harvesting on some farms, without compromising quality.

Cold Extraction

Olive oil is extracted cold, which means that the temperature never exceeds 27°C during the mechanical extraction process. This better preserves the volatile compounds responsible for the aroma and flavor, as well as the olive oil's natural antioxidants. The choice of many producers to extract at higher temperatures allows more oil to be removed from the olives, however, it removes a lot of quality from the flavor and aroma of the oil. At Quinta Mourisca, we consider the cold extraction of our olive oils essential for creating a high quality product.

Sustainability in Production

In recent years, Trás-os-Montes producers have adopted more sustainable practices, such as:

• Use of natural fertilizers, such as animal manure and composting pruning residues;
• Reducing the use of pesticides, promoting natural pest control methods;
• Use of by-products from olive oil production, such as olive pits for biomass heating.

These practices minimize the environmental impact of production and preserve the authenticity of Trás-os-Montes olive oil.

DOP Certification

The Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP) is a certification that guarantees that the olive oil was produced with Trás-os-Montes olives, processed and packaged in the Trás-os-Montes region, meeting strict quality criteria and preserving the region's identity.

To find out if an olive oil has DOP Trás-os-Montes certification, you must check the label, which will contain the words “Azeite de Trás-os-Montes DOP”.

Olive Oil from Quinta Mourisca

Quinta Mourisca olive oils are produced only with varieties of Trás-os-Montes olives from our olive groves located in Agrobom, Alfândega da Fé.

Our olive oil is extracted in a mill located 15 minutes from our olive groves and we will soon open our own olive oil production mill.

Our olive oils vary in their spicy and bitter levels, maintaining a balance of aromas and flavors that make them characteristically Trás-os-Montes.

We hope this text has been useful. Use the code – azeitem – to get a 10% discount on Quinta Mourisca olive oils!