Priorat Natur Manzanilla Olives

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Priorat Natur Manzanilla Olives come from southern Spain, and have a nice straw green color, and a firm, smooth texture. Its name, “manzanilla,” means “little apple” in Spanish and describes their appearance—plump and medium-sized.

These olives are meaty, firm, and juicy, with a wonderful crispness. They have a briny flavor, with smoky hints of nutty almond.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

The Priorat Natur Manzanilla Olives are perfect for tapas, paired with anchovies, sheep’s milk cheese, and Rioja wine. They’re also great to pair with spicy sausages, and cheeses like Manchego, aged Swiss, and pepper-jack. These olives are also perfect to use in cocktails, salads, and pizzas.

A LEGACY REBUILT

Xavi Buil’s grandfathers were both farmers. His mother’s father worked as a grape, olive, almond, and hazelnut farmer near Priorat, who married the daughter of a wine and olive oil merchant and established a business in Falset. On his father’s side, his grandfather grew wheat and olives. But the family lands were sold off because the new generation had other ideas. However, with the harvest from the family garden each year, the family practice of manufacturing local items remained. Xavi fantasized as a child of creating his own business producing and selling these traditional products in order to restore his grandparents’ legacies.

After finishing business school, Xavi and his childhood friend Xavi Fusté, who had finished with a degree in administration, began producing arbequina olives and carmelized nuts out of the family house in 1996. Following a successful year, the duo founded Priorat Natur and expanded their product line. They now produce 9,000 liters of olive oil each year and 28,000 kilos of Arbequina olives. The entire process is done by hand in order to maintain the Priorat reputation for high-quality products. We can definitely say that Xavi has more than succeeded in honoring his grandparents.

Storage Instructions

Store your olives in a cool and dry area, like the pantry or a cupboard. Once opened, keep refrigerated. Consume within 2 years.