Olive oil

Francisco Manuel Mont’Alverne Rocha Pires and his son Francisco Cid Gonçalves Mont’Alverne Rocha Pires decided to join forces to bring new light and life to our ancestor’s farm and lands.

Different backgrounds from agriculture, one a doctor and the other a marine biologist, put their hands to work to creating an olive oil of the very highest quality.

For the last 7 years they have been improving 60 hectares of old olive trees with new trimming technics, sustainable fertilizing and good agriculture practice in general. Since this old plantation (over 100 years old) was planted by stalking, there is a mix of different olive varieties, the most predominant one is the Verdeal Transmontana, but there is also Cobrançosa, Madural Transmontana and Negrinha de Freixo, giving what is called a “field blend”, creating a olive oil with unique characteristics and complexity.

They also managed to plant an extra 10 hectares of Olive trees from the Cobrançosa and Madural Transmontana varieties for future blending.

Olive Oil:

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Used for centuries as a culinary ingredient, Olive Oil has now been “rediscovered” and is a standard product for any modern and healthy kitchen.

Its consumption is not confined to regions where it is produced and now is used in countries as far away as Japan or Australia.

When choosing an Olive Oil you should forget common myths regarding acidity and colour:

The acidity of an Olive Oil has no direct relationship with the flavour –The acidity is related to the fitosanitary state of the olives, while the flavour, colour and smell of the olive oil is given by a small amount of compounds called minor compounds.
The colour of the Olive Oil is not a sign of its quality – Greener olive oils are made from greener olives whereas yellow olive oils are indicative of mature olives, but after olive oil has stabilised all become yellow.

There are different qualities of olive oil:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Olive Oil of superior quality with intense flavours and aromas of healthy olives. It does not present any organoleptic defects. Acidity equal or less than 0,8%. Can be consumed directly and is ideal for seasoning on its own.

Picture Virgin Olive Oil – Olive oil of good quality with the flavour and aroma of healthy olives. Acidity is equal or less than 2%.
Good uncooked and can be used for roasts, soups, stews or marinades.

Refined Olive Oil – It results from chemical extraction. It is used for frying due to its resistance to high temperatures.

The “Monovarietal Olive Oils” are obtained from only one variety of olive.