Area of Production

The area of production for extra virgin olive oil with the Protected Denomination of Origin (DOP) "Les Garrigues" corresponds to several municipalities located in the southern part of Lleida province: the local district of Les Garrigues, and the southern parts of the local districts of El Segrià and L'Urgell.

Varieties

Practically 100% of the DOP Les Garrigues olive oils are made with Arbequina olives. The official regulations permit the use of the following olive varieties: Arbequina, with a presence of at least 90%, and Verdiell, with a presence of no more than 10%.


Characteristics

The oil used and the certification for DOP Les Garrigues present the organoleptic properties typical of the local area. These are fruity oils obtained from freshly-picked olives which have their own personality and are characterised by the fine balance between their bitter and spicy attributes.

When the olives are at their greenest, their bitter and spicy attributes and aroma are at their most intense, much to the delight of those who love green olive oils. When the olives are riper, the characteristics and attributes of the resulting oils are much smoother.

All of these differentiating features correspond to the close link between the Arbequina olive and the local territory (its soils, climate …). The olives are picked directly from the tree and the careful work done during the processing and bottling of the oil by the cooperatives and producers registered with the DOP provide the main guarantees of obtaining an olive oil that meets the high standards demanded of the certification and seal of DOP Les Garrigues.

The average level of acidity of the oils used to produce DOP Les Garrigues olive oil is less than 0.2% (two tenths of a percent), which is far below the maximum level of acidity permitted by the regulations of DOP Les Garrigues (less than 0.5%).

Control and commercialisation

The Regulating Board, which has been recognised by ENAC (the national accreditation agency) as the certifying body, guarantees that the extra virgin olive oil used by the Protected Denomination of Origin complies with the requirements demanded by the Conditions and Regulations of this DOP.

The olive oil controlled and certified by the DOP Les Garrigues is bottled for the consumer bearing a numbered label issued by the Regulating Board, which is a veritable certificate of origin and quality. As well as the information demanded by the current legislation, the label also bears the name and logotype of the Les Garrigues Protected Denomination of Origin and the community symbol that identifies the Denominations of Origin recognised by the EU.

Consell Regulador de la DOP "Les Garrigues"
Complex de la Caparrella, 97, 1a planta
25192 Lleida (El Segrià)
T. 973 280 470
info@olidoplesgarrigues.com
olidoplesgarrigues.com