Aceite Pago de Valdecuevas

Pago de Valdecuevas

Pago de Valdecuevas is a family-run olive mill located in Medina de Rioseco, Valladolid, in the heart of the Tierra de Campos region. The project belongs to the Martín Rodríguez family, who have been linked to the agri-food sector in Castile and León for decades, and was born with an unusual objective for the area: to demonstrate that the conditions of the Castilian interior could be suitable for producing high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
The story began in 2008, when the family studied different terrains and climatic conditions before selecting a plateau in Medina de Rioseco situated at an altitude of approximately 850 meters. That same year, the first olive trees were planted, focusing mainly on the Arbequina variety, whose adaptation to the local climate offered interesting possibilities for achieving an oil different from those produced in warmer regions.
The next major step came in 2011, with the construction of an olive mill on the estate itself. It became the first olive mill in the province of Valladolid, allowing for direct control of the entire journey of the olive from the tree to its processing and significantly reducing the time between harvest and milling.
Since then, Pago de Valdecuevas has developed a limited production oriented towards the premium segment. Its philosophy is based on comprehensive control of the process, from monitoring the olives in the plots to the extraction, storage, and bottling of the oil.
Throughout its history, its EVOO has obtained numerous national and international awards, consolidating Pago de Valdecuevas as a unique project within the Spanish olive oil landscape and demonstrating the potential of Castile and León to produce high-quality oils.

Castilian Arbequina: the great star of Pago de Valdecuevas

Arbequina is the essence of Pago de Valdecuevas and represents the vast majority of the olives produced on the estate. The choice of this variety was a carefully studied decision from the very beginning of the project, seeking to take advantage of its adaptation to the unique climatic conditions of Medina de Rioseco.
It is used to produce Pago de Valdecuevas 100% Arbequina, an EVOO that possesses a personality of its own thanks to the conditions of the Valladolid region. Its profile combines green and fruity notes, with hints of grass, almond, apple, and banana, showcasing a different interpretation of a variety usually associated with Mediterranean territories.
The estate also has smaller plantations of Picual and Manzanilla Cacereña. These varieties expand the production possibilities and are used in some of the house's most special oils, adding greater intensity, structure, and complexity to the blend.
The harvest begins early, selecting the olives when they are in optimal condition from a sensory perspective. Although working at the beginning of the season means sacrificing some of the oil yield that a riper fruit would provide, it allows for oils with greater freshness and aromatic intensity.
One of the great advantages of Pago de Valdecuevas is having the oil mill right on the estate. The olives can be processed just a few hours after harvesting, avoiding prolonged storage. Extraction is carried out using mechanical procedures at a controlled temperature, paying special attention to the care of the fruit throughout the entire process.
The resulting oils are subsequently stored in stainless steel tanks under controlled conditions, seeking to protect them from light, oxygen, and temperature changes until the moment of bottling. The field and the oil mill thus form a single production system in which the Castilian Arbequina constitutes the main hallmark.

An olive grove at an altitude of 850 meters in Tierra de Campos

One of the aspects that most sets Pago de Valdecuevas apart is precisely its territory. The estate is located in Medina de Rioseco, Valladolid, at about 850 meters above sea level, on a Castilian plateau where conditions are very different from those of the great Mediterranean olive-growing regions.
The climate features long, cold winters and dry, hot summers, along with significant temperature differences between day and night. These thermal contrasts influence the trees' vegetative cycle and the ripening rhythm of the olives.
The limestone soils and the continental conditions of Tierra de Campos create a demanding environment for the olive tree. In comparison with warmer olive-growing areas, the olive cycle develops under unique conditions that allow Pago de Valdecuevas to obtain a different interpretation of a variety traditionally associated with Catalonia and other Mediterranean regions.
The project’s initial plantings consisted mainly of Arbequina, a variety that continues to dominate the estate. Later, small areas of Picual and Manzanilla Cacereña were added, increasing the varietal diversity available for specific production.
The location of the oil mill within the estate itself completes the single-estate concept. The olives do not have to travel long distances after harvest; instead, they can be moved directly from the plots to the facilities where their processing begins. This allows for particularly tight control over the raw material.
In this way, the altitude, the continental climate, the limestone soils, and the sharp thermal contrasts of Valladolid are much more than just the backdrop against which Pago de Valdecuevas works. They are precisely the factors that allow the project to offer a unique interpretation of Arbequina and demonstrate that premium Spanish EVOO can also have its origin in the plateaus of Castile and León.