As the leading olive oil producing country, Spain protects its oil types and currently has 9 protected designations of origin (5 in Andalusia, 2 in Catalonia, 1 in Castilla la Mancha and 1 in Aragon), and many others are in the process of being recognised. The DO label defines the origin of the oils and the varieties used and guarantees the production and transformation of the product in its geographic areas.

Protected designations of origin

Designations of origin in the process of being recognised

Andalusia

Baena

The producing area of this designation is in the south-east of the province of Cordoba, covering the municipal areas of Baena, Luque, Doña Mencía, Nueva Carteya and Zuheros, which are located in olive growing regions called Nevadillo-Campiña and Campiña y Penibética. It protects extra virgin olive oils produced from the varieties Picudo or Carrasqueño of Cordoba, Lechin, Chorrúo or Jardúo, Hojiblanca and Picual. The olives are picked by hand, or beaten from the trees with poles or the trees are shaken using machines. 30% of the region's production has this designation. Its oils are fruity, with floral aromas, a little peppery or bitter and have a balance of exceptional flavours.

Sierra de Segura

This region is located in the north-east of the province of Jaen. The following municipal areas are all included in the producing area: Beas de Segura, Benatae, Chiclana de Segura, Génave, Hornos de Segura, Orcera, La Puerta de Segura, Puente Génave, Segura de la Sierra, Santiago-Pontones, Siles, Torres de Albánchez and Villarrodrigo. This Andalusian designation protects virgin olive oil obtained from the varieties Picual, Verdala, Royal and Manzanillo of Jaen. The olives are picked by hand, and the oils have surprising aromas and are sometimes slightly peppery.

Priego de Córdoba

This designation protects extra virgin olive oil obtained from the varieties Picual, Picudo and Hojiblanca of a natural region located in the south-east of the province of Cordoba, bordering on the provinces of Jaen and Granada. It includes the municipal areas of Almedinilla, Carcabuey, Fuente Tójar and Priego de Córdoba.

Sierra Mágina

This region is in the heart of the Nature Reserve with the same name, in the central part of the southern area of the province of Jaen. It includes the municipal areas of Albánchez de Ubeda, Bedmar-Garcíez, Solera, Jimena, Jódar, Larva, Mancha Real, Pegalajar and Torres. This designation protects the varieties Picual and Manzanillo of Jaen. Its oils are very stable, very fruity and slightly bitter. Their colour varies from intense green to golden yellow depending on the harvest time and their geographic location in the region.

Sierra de Cazorla (officially recognized during 2001)

Together with Bajo Aragon, this is the newest Denomination of Origin. The production area is located in the south-east of the province of Jaen in Andalusia. It covers extra virgin olive oils made from the Picual variety which is characteristic of this region. These are a yellowish green, with an intense fruitiness and fresh fruit flavour (apple, almond, fig), with a slight bitterness and piquancy.

Catalonia

Les Garrigues

This designation protects the varieties Arbequina and Verdiell. The producing area is located in the south of the province of Lerida, and includes the region of Les Garrigues and other municipalities bordering on the regions of La Segarra and Meridional. The olives are picked by hand, and two kinds of oils are produced, depending on when the harvest takes place: fruity (from an earlier harvest, greenish in colour, more "body" with an almondy and bitter flavour) and sweet (from a later harvest, yellow, more "fluid" and with a sweet flavour).

Siurana

It protects oils obtained from the varieties Arbequina, Royal and Morrut. The producing area is a strip of the province of Tarragona, perpendicular to the Mediterranean Sea which, starting from Les Garrigues of Lerida, crosses part of the regions of El Priorato, El Bajo Campo, El Alto Campo, El Tarragonés and La Ribera del Ebro from north-west to south-east. The olives are picked by hand, and as in Les Garrigues, its oils are fruity or sweet depending on the harvest time.

Castile-La Mancha

Montes de Toledo - (officially recognized during 2000)

This producing area is located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, in the region of Castile-La Mancha. More specifically, its 103 towns spread from the southwestern areas in the province of Toledo to the northwestern areas from Ciudad Real. 

This designation protects extra virgin olive oil from the variety Cornicabra, a very stable oil due to its high content of polyphenols. From an organoleptic point of view, these oils present a dense feeling in mouth. They are fruity and aromatic, slightly bitter and pungent, with a very well-balanced flavour in its optimal point of ripeness.

Aragón

Bajo Aragón (officially recognized during 2001)

The provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel in the region of Aragon are the growing area for this Denomination which protects extra virgin olive oil extracted from the Empeltre (minimum 80%),Arbequina and Royal varieties. Its colour varies between golden yellow and old gold. The flavour is fruity at the start of the harvesting period with a slight almond flavour, no bitterness, and a touch of sweetness and piquancy.

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