Picualia is a co-op of olive farmers in Jaen (in/around Bailen) who supply this factory's annual crop for olive oil production. Co-op members farm only Picual type olives (known for high antioxidants and strong sensory profile). Harvest time is Oct-Feb, which dictates the factory production schedule in those same months. If you tour Oct-Feb you get to see production in action. Unfortunately our trip during Semana Santa didn't allow us to see production but we still got the idea throughout our tour. The first olives harvested in October make green oils, which, according to Picualia, "boast the highest antioxidant/polyphenol levels, offering robust, herbaceous notes of green tomato, artichoke, and freshly cut grass with a peppery finish. Ideal for raw drizzling, salads, and finishing dishes." The earliest batch is the pride of this company due to its award reputation as finest in Spain, won many many times. The next batch is November, when the olives turn from green to purple, creating their "gourmet" oils, whose "flavor softens into ripe tomato, green banana, and apple. It is highly versatile, perfect for both raw use and light cooking." Last, the end of harvesting produces a more economic oil that is still EVOO but has fewer health benefits and offers a more mild taste "with notes of mashed fruit, ripe banana, and tomato soup. It retains EVOO quality but is tailored for daily, large-scale cooking and stews." We followed our guide as she explained the equipment and journey of each olive from farmer's harvest truck, to bottled oil! We learned how high tech the computerized weighing system is to save data on every farmer in the co-op, how they make use of every bit of the olive from skin to pit to flesh, and even how they send a man through a tiny hole into each stainless olive oil tank for meticulous cleaning after the oil has been drained for bottling (and they have to monitor the man's oxygen due to the sealed nature of the tanks). We also did the tasting and sampled some from the "gourmet" range. I thought my 7yo was just playing around when he said he smelled apple, banana, and tomato, and I further thought our guide was just playing along to tell him that was correct, but I googled it later and he nailed their description perfectly! I was amazed! I tasted a little tomato but not the rest. Another oil was very peppery and yet another, I believe the green superior oil, was very smooth but more bland of other flavors, yet retained its own olive flavor with force. They offer the option to dine in their Michelin-recognized dining room, but prices are quite high for a lunch while in sneakers after a tour and the proteins offered were not things I eat (seafood heavy around Semana Santa), so we opted to just hit the shop and leave after tasting concluded our tour. In April 2026, the tour was €42 for 2 adults and 1 child. I personally was bummed that we didn't get to see production, and while they fully explained that at the time of booking, it didn't register until we were there looking at an empty assembly line. As mentioned, our guide did well to help us visualize but especially for my little one, I wish we'd been able to see and smell the beautiful olives. The upside was that there weren't crowds and we had a private tour for our family, which is pretty cool. My husband said this was one of the highlights of our trip, and our son had a blast too. So I definitely recommend a visit, I'd just aim for Oct-Feb if you can help it! read more

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