Aceite de Madrid Receives Protected Designation of Origin Status

Olive oil pro­duc­ers in Madrid received Protected Designation of Origin cer­ti­fi­ca­tion from the European Union ear­lier this month.

After four years of work by local offi­cials, qual­i­fy­ing pro­duc­ers can begin to label their extra vir­gin olive oil with the offi­cial PDO cer­tifi­cate start­ing April 24^th.

“We have achieved some­thing good by show­ing the European Union that this is a real project with a future that respects the envi­ron­ment,” said Rafael Gómez, the pres­i­dent of the PDO.

“Now, when peo­ple buy this olive oil, they are going to know it’s of good qual­ity, with some of its own char­ac­ter­is­tics and with a respect­ful pro­duc­tion process,” he added.

In the autonomous com­mu­nity of Madrid, there are about 4,500 grow­ers, 18 mills and over 20,000 hectares of olive groves, pro­duc­ing between 3.7 and 6.0 mil­lion liters of olive oil annu­ally.

The main cul­ti­va­tion areas are in Campiña, Suroccidental and Las Vegas regions, south­east of the cap­i­tal.

‘Aceite de Madrid’ PDO oils will be pro­duced pri­mar­ily from Manzanilla, Castellana and Cornicabra olives. ​“This is what allows us to obtain sen­sory pro­files that make this oil unique,” said Esther Alonso, the direc­tor of the PDO.

Gómez added that Madrid PDO extra vir­gin olive oil is spicy, green and bit­ter. He said it has a potent aroma as well.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, pres­i­dent of the Community of Madrid, con­grat­u­lated the farm­ers and orga­niz­ers who sent in the PDO appli­ca­tion and lob­bied Brussels for its inclu­sion in the E.U.’s Register of Protected Designations of Origin and Geographical Indications.

“The Madrid coun­try­side is in luck,” she tweeted. ​“The European Union cer­ti­fies the Denomination of Origin of Madrid olive oil. Thanks to the farm­ers, mills and the entire oil sec­tor. Together we have made it pos­si­ble.”

Spain boasts 32 extra vir­gin olive oils with a Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication sta­tus.

The pro­duc­ers behind the Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara in Extremadura, which applied for PDO sta­tus in February 2022, will hope they are next in line to become Spain’s 33^rd olive oil with pro­tected sta­tus.

• La Sexta
• El Mundo