Viveros Rafael Dalmau

The most romantic tales around the olive tree come from the Greeks. The ancient Greek gods were believed to be born under the branches of olive trees. Greek mythology tells that Zeus held a competition for the purpose of awarding the patronage of Attica to whomever brought him the most valuable gift. The Goddess Athena brought the gift of the olive tree. It was valued for its shade, for the heat that could be produced from its wood, and for the oil of its fruit. Athena won the competition and became the patron of Attica, and the olive tree was planted at the Acropolis. The olive tree that grows there today is said to have come from the roots of the original tree. 

Origins of the olive tree:

The olive is native to the Mediterranean region, tropical and central Asia and various parts of Africa. The olive has a history almost as long as that of Western civilization, its development being one of civilized man's first accomplishments. At a site in Spain, carbon-dating has shown olive seed found there to be eight thousand years old. O. europaea may have been cultivated independently in two places, Crete and Syria. Archeological evidence suggest that olives were being grown in Crete as long ago as 2,500 B.C. From Crete and Syria olives spread to Greece, Rome and other parts of the Mediterranean area.

The Greeks regard the olive tree as a symbol of euphoria, purification, victory and honor. The foliage of the olive tree has been used for centuries to honor victory, wisdom and peace. In Genesis, an olive branch was returned to Noah on the ark by a dove, signaling the end of the great flood. The Olympic Games winners in ancient Greece were given olive-wreaths from Kroneio as trophies. The olive and its oil have always engaged the intellect, the senses and the passions of the Greek world for the past four thousand years. Olive oil always held a sacred place in the solemn rites of the Greek religious life. The ancient Greek gods were believed to be born under the branches of the olive tree.

Olives are also grown commercially in California, Australia and South Africa. There is some disagreement over when the trees first appeared in California. Some say they were introduced in 1769 when seeds brought from Mexico were planted. Others put the date at 1785 when trees were brought in to make olive oil were planted.

Over the centuries mankind has produced and propagated a myriad of olive varieties. Today several dozen varieties are grown commercially around the world.

Frantoio

Frantoio is the main variety of Italian national olive oil producers. Frantoio olives are cultivated in the center of Italy, within the regions of Tuscany and el Marche, as well as throughout the south in the Apulia, which is the main olive oil producing region of Italy. Frantoio olive oil can be characterized as very fruity with a wonderful aroma. Along with the aromas of extreme fruit, the oil also has a hint of green apple, and a scent of green leaves and grass. This oil has a more pungent flavor than most, the sensation which this olive oil leaves in the mouth is a sweetness, somewhat astringent, and with a light almond flavor. A medium to high oil content producer it is one of the most poular cultivars in the world and it can currently can be found on more than 250,000 acres world-wide. This is an extremely cold resistant fruit tree.

Leccinio

Leccino olives are cultivated in all the major olive growing regions of Italy. They are considered as an expanding variety, and the second most important variety in Italy. Leccino olive oil has a slight fruitiness, barely bitter and pungent, somewhat sweet and of a light color. Small-medium sized fruit. Considered dual purpose; either as a table olive or for oil extraction. Medium to high oil content. An early cropper, known for quality oil and very cold resistant stock.

Coratina

This classic Italian olive is a highly prized cultivar originating from the Puglia region. Pressings from this olive produce a wonderful fruity flavored oil, renowned as a "World Class" olive oil. This variety olive oil has a high level fruitiness, with slight hints of apple, green leaf aroma, with pungent olive fruit, and a slightly noticeable sweetness. Highly stable and prized for its shelf-life. Medium to high oil producer with very cold resistant stock.

Pendolino

Pulp fleshy, firm-textured. Tree vigorous, medium-sized, bears heavy crops regularly. It is a cultivar widely appreciated by growers for its high fruit production and plays a crucial role as an excellent pollinator, both for table and oil cultivars. The oil has a delicate flavor and is quite pleasing to the palate. Because of its long, flexible branches, it is well-suited to manual harvesting. It has a mild resistance to cold.

Arbequina

An early cropping variety, high quality with superior oil content. The Arberquina olive produces a wonderful light fruity oil, wonderfully delicate, which has a relatively short shelf life. For this reason, we combine it with other varieties to increase its longevity. Oil from the Arbequina olive is characterized by its fluidity and extraordinary fragrance. The oil is very fruity, with a slight apple taste, green grass, not very pungent, and of a sweet flavor. In the mouth we find it has the specific attributes of green almond and with a fresh cut grass flavor. Considered very cold resistant.

Hojiblanca

Hojiblanca olives are excellent for both table olives as well as in the production of olive oil. When used for table olives they tend to be very ripe and black, California style. The olive oil obtained from Hojiblanca olives has some very distinct sensorial characteristics. The Hojiblanca variety tends to have a strong olive fruit flavor, with a slight hint of apple, and green grass, which gives the oil a pungent and sweet finish. Hojiblanca olive oil is also very smooth to the taste, being especially light on the palate with an almondy aftertaste.