Aceite Omed

O-med

O-Med is a family-owned extra virgin olive oil brand produced in Ácula, in the province of Granada, where the Venchipa mill is located. Behind the project is the García-Casas family, whose relationship with olive oil began in 2005, when Juan de Dios García Molina and Paula Casas took on the challenge of restoring and transforming an old local mill.

That family project evolved into O-Med, with a very defined philosophy: to combine knowledge of the olive grove with innovation, technology, and a particularly rigorous control of the entire production process. Subsequently, a new generation joined, with their children Juan de Dios and Paula García Casas, who have continued to develop the brand and expand its presence both within and outside of Spain.

From Ácula, O-Med has built its own identity within the world of EVOO, committing to careful production and a very precise selection of olives. The family participates directly in the different stages of production, from monitoring the fruit in the field to the extraction, storage, and subsequent packaging of the oil.

In addition to their EVOOs, O-Med has expanded its project to include other gastronomic products, especially high-quality vinegars, becoming a recognizable brand for its combination of Granadan origin, family character, and innovation. Two decades after the start of that project in 2005, the family continues to work from Ácula with the goal of obtaining products capable of expressing both the raw material and the territory from which they come.

Arbequina and Picual: two varieties and two ways of interpreting EVOO

O-Med's production is especially linked to two olive varieties: Arbequina and Picual. The mill processes both separately to create monovarietal oils capable of showcasing the differences between a delicate and aromatic variety like Arbequina and another with a more intense and structured character like Picual.

Arbequina provides one of O-Med's most characteristic profiles. With it, they produce an EVOO with a green fruitiness in which hints of apple, green banana, freshly cut grass, and almond can be found, with a sweeter entry and a delicate balance between bitterness and pungency. It is an oil that seeks to especially preserve the freshness and fruity character of this variety.

Picual, on the other hand, allows for an oil of greater intensity and personality. Its profile features green notes reminiscent of olive leaf, tomato plant, grass, green almond, and artichoke, accompanied by the bitterness and pungency characteristic of the variety. This structure and aromatic richness allow O-Med to offer two clearly differentiated monovarietals based on the same production philosophy.

One of the most important aspects for the family is correctly determining the harvest time. They do not seek only the yield of the olive, but the point at which the fruit can provide the desired sensory profile. Once harvested, reducing the time until milling is essential to avoid fermentation and preserve the quality of the olives.

Technology plays a fundamental role within the mill. O-Med was a pioneer in the use of systems designed to control the temperature of the olives from the moment of their reception, preventing the heat accumulated in the fruit during harvest from subsequently harming its aromas. The entire process is carried out with the goal of maintaining controlled temperatures and reducing oxidation.

After extraction, the oils are carefully stored in stainless steel tanks, protected from factors such as light, oxygen, and temperature changes. In this way, O-Med combines varietal selection, speed, cold, and technology to preserve in its EVOOs the characteristics obtained previously in the field.

Granadan olive groves between the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean

The origin of O-Med lies in Ácula, a small town belonging to the municipality of Ventas de Huelma, in the province of Granada. It is an agricultural setting in the interior of Granada, situated between the influence of the mountains and the relative proximity of the Mediterranean, where climatic conditions allow for the development of olive groves with unique characteristics.

The olive groves used by O-Med are located in different areas near the mill, and the family pays special attention to the selection of the plots and the monitoring of the olives during their development. This proximity is fundamental because it significantly reduces the time that elapses from when the fruit leaves the tree until it reaches the facilities in Ácula.

The landscape of Granada presents conditions different from those of other major producing regions in Andalusia. The altitude and the thermal contrasts between day and night, combined with the continental Mediterranean climate of inland Granada, influence the ripening rhythm of the olives and make it possible to obtain fruits with highly distinct aromatic profiles.

Varieties such as Arbequina and Picual coexist in this territory, responding differently to the environmental conditions. The family monitors the olive groves to determine when each plot reaches the right moment for harvest, thus connecting the decisions made in the field with the subsequent work inside the mill.

For O-Med, the care of the oil begins precisely in these olive groves and not when the olives enter the mill. The location of the mill in Ácula, the proximity of the plots, the Granada climate, and the control of the fruit from its harvest allow for a very close relationship between the field and production. It is this combination of territory, agriculture, and technology that defines a large part of the personality of O-Med oils.