Vea

High in the hills of the Les Garrigues province in Northern Catalonia, Spain, the third and fourth generations of the Vea family can be found making their delicious olive oils. The groves, though not all certified organic, are run in accordance with strict biodynamic principles, and the family seamlessly blend the newest extraction systems with the traditional olive cultivation and selection methods of past generations.

Many of the Arbequina olive trees, which grow on the hills outside Lerida, the province’s capital, are up to 200 years old, and sit on ancient terraces carved into the hillside. The Arbequina olive gets its name from the Catalonian town of Arbeca. It is thought to have been introduced to the region in the 18th Century by the Duke of Medinaceli who brought it from Palestine. This khaki-brown olive is one of the smallest used in olive oil production and that it takes 10-12 kilos of olives to make 1 litre of olive oil.

The Mediterranean climate of the area surrounding Sarroca de Lerida, a northeastern village in the Catalonian province of Lerida is ideal for growing Arbequina olive trees. The climate is very dry and there are deep gorges and dry torrents. The unevenness of the land is organised through a series of terraces built hundreds of years ago. The olive tree is visible everywhere, mixed in with the natural rather scrubby vegetation of wild hawthorn and some scattered holm oak forests. There are signs of olive trees in this region dating back to the Roman Empire, and it is on this terraced landscape where you now find Gerard Vea and his production of wonderful olive oil made from the Arbequina olive.

Gerard Vea believes that the climate helps make the organic status of his L’Estornell oil easier to achieve. The very cold winters eliminates many insects. The hot and dry summer controls the fly that can lay its eggs on the maturing olives and ruin them and helps the olives grow strong.