A journey through the origins of a unique olive oil in the world

The history

There are thousands of places to disconnect, but there are places that have their charm, where the presence of the river, its ravines and mysterious caves invite us to explore a territory that is not only known for its good wine, but also produces one. of the best oils in the world.

We are in Margalef, a small town that is part of the Sierra de Montsant, in the Priorat region. Formerly, the people lived in the nuclei of the town, but there were also houses scattered in the more mountainous ranges.

In the 18th century, agriculture in the area specialized in vineyards, where the first olive trees were cultivated on the outskirts of the farms. A century later, the phylloxera killed the vines, and they were replaced by olive trees.

In 1850, Jordi and Margarita Ciuraneta lived in a farmhouse on the outskirts of town. There the family cultivated vineyards like most, although the plague of insects killed almost all the production, except for a small part than where Jordi had planted some special olive trees on a slope of the Era.

These olive trees, over time, gave their fruits, and being in calcareous terraces supported by stone walls, a much more refined and quality product was obtained than the rest. A product that the owner of the farm called Priordei, due to its relationship with the region.

The process

The selective collection was completely artisanal, picking the olives by hand and storing them in buckets. Then, the olives were washed, and the remains of the branches were removed, making the preparation of the paste from a stone mill of the time. Today, this process is still in force, since agricultural production is not allowed in the area due to the privileged situation of cultivation in the middle of mountain ranges and rocky slopes.

That oil was so and so good that it was even the base for replenishing a basic need during the Second Carlist War throughout the state. An oil highly valued by commanders and political leaders, where the Ciuraneta family knew how to place it on a large scale. One of the lovers of this oil was the commander-in-chief of the Carlist forces, Ramón Cabrera.

In this way, Priordei established itself as a gourmet, refined and quality oil throughout the Spanish State, but also abroad. Jordi's brother, who lived in the United States, helped him export the product to America with considerable success. In fact, in 3 years, they tripled production and became one of the most valued oils in the American market, exporting mainly to the United States and Argentina.

The good weather conditions, the manual selective collection of olives, the subsoil of the mainland that predominates in mountain ranges and ravines make the situation unbeatable to produce one of the best oils in the world. Likewise, the landscape, the tranquility that is breathed, the corners and the historical monuments that are seen make it an essential visit, as well as the practice of outdoor sports in the Montsant.

All this, with a good breakfast of the time, along with a good bread and tomato and a jet of pure oil, with a fruity smell and gold colour that makes our mouths water just thinking about it.

An extraordinary gourmet product that is now available to everyone. If you have not tried it yet, try it and let yourself be carried away by the origins of Priordei oil through the generational legacy that Jordi and Margarita left us.