Month: April 2022

Golden drops & Beautiful Bottles (SCANDINAVIAN FOOD & DRINK)

Castillo de Canena is among the most recognizable producers of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Spain, and their Oils are considered being among the 5 best Spanish Oils in the World.
Production is located in Jaen-Provence, in Andalusia, which is the Worlds biggest area producing Olive Oils, however only recently they started focusing on Quality.

Castillo de Canena are focusing on quality in both when it comes to the Oils and design. The beautiful red bottles with 1st. Day Harvest is made only from olives that have been collected the very first day of Harvest. The label is every year new and designed by a famous personality, this year by the Formula 1 Driver Fernando Alonso. To the left the Reserva Familiar oil, which have obtained the highest possible score by the Oliver Oli Guide Flos Olei, and in the beautiful Turquoise bottle you find a new creation: An Oak Tree smoked Olive Oil produced from 100% Arbequina Olives.

Oliver Trees are covering 2/3 of the agriculture area in the Jaen-Provence, which is also called the Olive Oils Mainland. We are in the Southern part of Spain in the North Eastern part of Andalusia, which it the biggest Olive Oil producing area in the World. However the area have never been know for quality.

As a matter of fact Spain have for a long time been lacking behind when it comes to production of quality Oils. But during the recent years when a large number of Spanish Michelin – Chefs have set new international standards, the attention on the Countries liquid Gold also been increased.

The new elite with the old traditions

Castillo de Canena is part of the new positive developing, and is part of the new elite within Spanish Extra Virgin Oliver Oils, even though the family business actually have existed since 1780.

Castillo de Canena is named after the Family Castle in the City of Canena and have passed through generati

ons to generation, and today it is the brother and sister Paco and Rosa Vano who are carr

ying on the traditions, and they are doing this in their own way.

They are both highly educated and have both had successful careers from the Banking sector to Global Marketing Manager for Coca Cola, and the experience the both process they have carried into the family company for which they both are responsible for today.

Biodynamic, Smoked or Royal

From the very beginning the only parameter Paco and Rosa have had was Quality, and they have both been involved in all the processes related to the production of their quality Oils, and that goes all the way from the growing process, selection of Olivers, pressing and tapping. And not to forget the Design of the Bottles, Sales and Marketing.

And their engagement and innovative thoughts have given result. At the Ecologic Exhibition Biofach in Germany this year they launched a Biodynamic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which now also is available in Denmark, and recently is also the Oak Smoked Olive Oil produced from 100% Arbequina-Olives added to the assortment available in Denmark.

More of Castillo De Canena’s Extra Virgin Oliver Oils are based on classic Olives like Picual and Arbequina, but Paco and Rosa have also re-discovered the Royal which is a local Olive from the Jaen region, which was close to disappear, and today only grow very few places in Andalusia.

Thanks to Paco and Rosa the Royal Olive is again an honored Olive and is one of the main Olives in another of their price winning Oils.

So its clear that the drops are golden, and so is the future for Paco and Rosa Vano.

October 2014

Introducing our biodynamic olive oil in the International Sustainable Winemaking

The first meeting of Sustainable Winemaking organized by Coalla Gourmet in the Botanical Garden of Gijón (Asturias, Spain) was a hit beacuse its audience and conception itself! In this meeting of vintners and farmers committed to the environment, we also participated with our latest project, the Biodynamic Picual EVOO.

The wonderful botanical garden Gijón offered a unique framework for this event. Between the green of the trees and the murmur of a small waterfall, vintners and farmers shared their sustainable farming practices. The event organizer, Coalla Gourmet, presented a small exhibition of biodynamic preparations which are used in this type of agriculture certified by Demeter. The aromas of chamomile, nettle and manure, remember us the smells of the countryside.

In our booth we offered our Biodynamic olive oil, but also, some organic products from our farm, as the delicious pistachio, almonds, acorns and our delicious honey, as well as a small recreation of our farm with fennel, basil, bay leaf, rosemary and esparto.

At the fair the following vintners were present: Albert Mann (Alsace, France); Azul y Garanza (Navarra, Spain); Belondrade (Rueda, Castilla y León, Spain); Bodegas Ostatu (Rioja, Spain); Celler Credo (Reccared Group); Penedes; Descendientes de J. Palacios (Bierzo, Castilla y León, Spain); Domaine Arlaud (Burgundy, France); Dominio do Bibei (Ribeira Sacra, Galicia, Spain); Eulogio Palomares Zárate (Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain); Finca Sandoval (Manchuela, Castilla La Mancha, Spain); La Ferme de la Sansonnière (Loire, France); Los Astrales (Ribera del Duero, Spain); Quinta da Muradella (Monterrei, Galicia, Spain); Quinta Sardonia (Valladolid, Spain); Tentenublo Wines (Rioja, Spain) and Vincent Dureuil-Janthial (Burgundy, France).

If you would like to read a little more, we have leave some interesting articles published in Spanish by the way:

– The Garden of wines, Asturias24.

– Drinking a landscape: the biodynamic wines of Mark Angeli, Asturias24.

We are counting days to the next meeting !!

September 2014

We’re celebrating!

Once again our extra virgin olive oil Family Reserve Picual is on top of the list of the best extra virgin olive oils in the world by the prestigious Flos Olei Guide. This time we have reached the maximum score achievable in the prestigious Guide. 100 points!

With this new award we head the guide for the eighth time with the highest score and 3 different references (Picual Family Reserve; Early Royal; Biodynamic Picual), demostrating the excellence and quality of our olive juices.

Here is an overview of the scores we have obtained in the guide in these 10 years:

2020 –  Family Reserve Picual max score (100/100)

2019 –  Family Reserve Picual max score (99/99)

2018 –  Family Reserve Picual max score (99/99) + “The Best World Olive Oil”

2017 – Biodynamic Picual, maximum score (98/98)

2016 –  Family Reserve Picual max score (98/98) + Castillo de Canena proclaimed as “The Best Olive Oil Company in the World”

2015 – Family Reserve Picual max score (98/98)

2014 – Early Royal, max score (98/98) + “The Best fruity EVOO in the World”

2012 – Early Royal, max score (97/97)

2010 – Family Reserve Picual, “The Best Fruity Monovarietal in the World”

2009 – Early Royal, “The Best Monovarietal Medium Fruity of the World”

As you already know, the FLOS OLEI guide by the Italian Marco Oreggia is the guide with the highest international recognition. Oreggia analyzes more than 1,000 extra virgin olive oils around the world and only oils with more than 80 points are included in the guide. Castillo de Canena has been present in it in all its editions!

We are very proud! Thanks a lot for your support!