Brussels authorises the PGI “Oli de Menorca”

The “Oli de Menorca/Aceite de Menorca” (as a Protected Geographical Indication), is an organic extra virgin olive oil produced on the island of Menorca. It is a fruity oil, of medium or intense intensity, which presents light to medium bitter and spicy flavours in the mouth.

The characteristic that has contributed most to the reputation of the “Oli de Menorca/Aceite de Menorca” oil is its “green” fruitiness, which is determined by the state of harvest of the olive, i.e. green.

The olive harvest begins at the end of September. The presence of the “Oli de Menorca/Aceite de Menorca” oil at local, Spanish and international fairs and exhibitions is further proof of the reputation enjoyed by this product.

Third quality mark for olive oil in the Balearic Islands

The current 2024/25 campaign is the first in which this distinctive mark can be used, which guarantees the quality, origin and authenticity of this product.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment of the Balearic Government, Joan Simonet, recently signed in Menorca the national transitory protection for this PGI, the first Spanish quality mark reserved exclusively for organic olive oils.

Only producers who register in the census that has been created for this purpose and who meet all the quality requirements will be able to use the name “Menorca” on their oils.

This PGI is the third quality mark for olive oil in the Balearic Islands, after the DOP Oli de Mallorca and the PGI Oli d’Eivissa. It should be noted that the PGI “Oli de Menorca” / “Aceite de Menorca” can only include oils from organic or in-conversion crops.

It is a further step in defence of quality products and in the commitment to sustainability and the natural environment, since the territorial scope of production is a Biosphere Reserve.

The Menorca Oil Association is the promoter of the PGI, whose transitional national protection was published on 29 April 2024 in the Official State Gazette. Likewise, the application for registration of “Oli de Menorca” / “Aceite de Menorca” as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (DOUE) on 2 September.

The president of the Association, Josep Maria Quintana, highlights that the approval of the PGI will be very beneficial for both producers and consumers, since it will be the guarantee that it is an oil with very strict biochemical parameters and organic production. In fact, it will be the only PGI for organic olive oil. Furthermore, since the PGI does not restrict olive varieties, it will allow for a diversified offering with good prospects for acceptance in the market.

Sustainability of the natural environment

The “Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca” is an organic Extra Virgin olive oil. All the oils respect the commitment to sustainability and the natural environment that characterises the island of Menorca, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993, taking into account the high degree of compatibility achieved between the development of economic activities, the consumption of resources and the conservation of a heritage and a landscape that has maintained, and continues to maintain today, an exceptional quality.

Currently, in Menorca there are a total of 11 olive producers, with a crop that occupies 76 hectares spread across the island, concentrated mainly in the municipality of Ciutadella, which hosts 70%, and which cultivate a total of 16,500 olive trees of different varieties: Empeltre, Arbequina, Koroneiki, among others.

The PGI also has 3 producers and bottlers of oil:

• Son Felip – www.sonfelip.com

• Binissaida – binissaida.com/ca/oli-de-binissaida

• Morvedra-www.morvedra.com/

They all produce a high-quality oil that is characterized by being green, fruity, of medium or high intensity, with bitter flavors and spicy sensations in the mouth, between light and medium, which give it a balanced character.

These unique characteristics give it a great reputation and prestige in the sector, accredited by its success in numerous international awards, including the London International Olive Oil Competition (2021 and 2022), and the "Biofach 2022 Olive Oil Award", a prestigious organic product fair held in Nuremberg (Germany) where an oil from Menorca managed to enter the "Top ten" of organic oils from around the world.

Menorcan oil can also be found on the menus of numerous prestigious local, national and international restaurants and its presence is notable in local, national and international media.

The launch of the IGP Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca will be overshadowed by the poor olive harvest that has taken place this autumn, which has affected the production of certified oil. In addition to the characteristic of the olive tree, which alternates years of high production with others of lesser harvest, there has been the climatic circumstance of continued drought that Menorca has suffered this 2024, which has caused the olive trees to barely bear fruit. For this reason, Menorcan oil can only be found on the most exclusive and select tables that can get a bottle of this Mediterranean jewel.

Menorcan producers are working to face the different agronomic and climatic challenges that arise, and thus offer a greater quantity of oil certified with the IGP Aceite de Menorca / Oli de Menorca.