Francisco Vañó, President of Grandes Pagos de Olivar, defined the experience as "a gastronomic journey across Extremadura, Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, passing through Navarre, the Valencian Community, and Castilla-La Mancha, through olive groves nestled in diverse landscapes, countrysides, latitudes, and terrains. Olive trees of different varieties and planting systems, of varying ages and cultivation methods, with heterogeneous fruits and plural agronomic structures, yet all united by the common denominator of excellence in producing origin-driven EVOOs with precise geolocation."
The seven EVOOs showcased their unique character in this extraordinary tasting menu, which began with Bread, tomato water, and Marqués de Valdueza Coupage olive oil. A dish that highlighted EVOO characteristics such as "balance, power, and complexity on the nose, alongside a pleasant bitterness and pungency on the palate, perfectly measured to always prioritize balance," noted Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo. Moving on to Cebreiro cheese agnolotti with tender almond and lime paired with Aubocassa, diners enjoyed an EVOO that brought to the plate "the luminosity and landscape of Majorcan Arbequina—full of aromas and exquisitely balanced, where the spicy and bitter notes pass virtually unnoticed," as explained by Agustín Santolaya.
Abbae de Queiles was chosen to pair with Seasonal cauliflower in textures with caviar. "A fresh, sweet, delicate, and fragrant EVOO, exceptionally suited to accompany star dishes like this one," pointed out David Solana. Fourth on the menu was Grilled Aquanaria sea bass with pil-pil and Masía El Altet High Quality. "An EVOO with an intense dark green color, unfiltered and naturally decanted, crafted from five native varieties from the Alicante region," highlighted Jorge Petit.
Castillo de Canena Reserva Familiar Picual paired with Octopus á feira. Rosa Vañó expressed her delight at this pairing, confident that the EVOO would "hold its own against the dish," encouraging guests to "enjoy the intense green color of the EVOO and search for notes of tomato, tomato plant, and freshly cut grass." For the Galician beef presa with mushrooms, the paired EVOO was Marqués de Griñón Oleum Artis. Xandra Falcó invited guests to appreciate the finesse of an EVOO produced during a challenging year that nonetheless yielded excellent olives—an intense oil brimming with freshly cut grass and green apple that invites you to taste it.
Finally, a Smoked chocolate with salted caramel paired with Casas de Hualdo Reserva de Familia closed this memorable lunch. The final showcase was a "highly complex oil—a blend of four varieties with notes of apple, olive leaves, and tomato—inheriting the nuanced flavors brought by the floral richness and crop diversity of the Casas de Hualdo estate," explained Jose Antonio Peche.
In short, a menu executed "with the culinary skill and technique of chef Miguel Vidal and his magnificent team. An opportunity to enjoy seven single-estate extra virgin olive oils produced by family enterprises dedicated year after year to consistently harvesting the finest fruit from our fields and crafting natural, fresh, vibrant olive juices with true personality," said Francisco Vañó.
