Aceite Soler Romero

Soler Romero

Soler Romero is a family business dedicated to the production of organic extra virgin olive oil in Alcaudete, in the province of Jaén. Its history is closely linked to Finca Solana, a family estate dedicated to olive cultivation for several generations and which constitutes the origin of the olives used to produce their oils.

The Soler Romero family has a relationship with the olive grove spanning more than a century. The estate has belonged to the family since 1850, and generation after generation, knowledge of the land and olive cultivation has been passed down, shaping the current project. At the end of the 20th century, one of the decisions that would eventually define the brand's identity was made: to orient the operation entirely toward organic farming.

In 1999, the estate began its conversion to organic farming, and since then, sustainability has become one of Soler Romero's main pillars. The family directly controls a large part of the process, from the care of the trees and the harvest to the production and storage of the oil, seeking to maintain complete traceability from the olive grove to the finished product.

Currently, Soler Romero combines this agricultural tradition with modern facilities and a philosophy aimed at producing high-quality organic EVOO. In addition to olive oil, the company has developed other products closely related to its raw material, including organic vinegars, expanding a range that maintains respect for the origin, organic production, and its family character as a common denominator.

Organic Picual: the star of Soler Romero

Soler Romero's production is closely linked to the Picual olive, the most characteristic variety of the province of Jaén and the star of its olive groves. With it, the family produces an organic EVOO that seeks to showcase the intensity, structure, and aromatic richness typical of this variety when worked with selected fruits and a specially careful production process.

The Picual variety allows for the creation of oils with a distinct personality. Soler Romero's EVOOs feature vegetable and fruity aromas reminiscent of tomato, freshly cut grass, olive leaf, almond, and green fruits, accompanied by the variety's characteristic bitterness and pungency. Its high natural stability is also one of the qualities for which Picual has traditionally been so highly valued.

Everything begins with an early harvest, selecting the olives while they still retain a marked green character. In this phase, the oil yield is lower than what would be achieved by letting the fruit ripen for longer, but it allows for the obtainment of oils with greater aromatic intensity and a high presence of certain natural compounds.

Speed between harvesting and milling is another fundamental aspect. The olives are transported to the mill to be processed in the shortest time possible, avoiding prolonged storage that could cause fermentation or deteriorate the fruit. Extraction is carried out using exclusively mechanical procedures at low temperatures, protecting the aromas and natural characteristics of the Picual.

This entire process is carried out under organic certification. From the cultivation of the trees to the production of the oil, Soler Romero works without resorting to the herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic chemical fertilizers typical of conventional agriculture. In this way, the quality of the oil truly begins many months before the harvest, with the way the soil is cared for and the natural balance of the olive groves is maintained.

Finca Solana: organic olive groves between Jaén and the Sierra Sur

The heart of Soler Romero is Finca Solana, located in the municipality of Alcaudete, in the southwest of the province of Jaén. The estate spans approximately 600 hectares of olive groves, forming a large-scale operation where the Picual variety dominates a landscape deeply rooted in the Jaén olive oil tradition.

The location of Alcaudete is particularly interesting. The municipality is situated in the Sierra Sur of Jaén, near the border with the province of Córdoba, within a region of uneven terrain where olive trees have been adapting to the conditions of the continental Mediterranean climate for generations. Hot, dry summers and colder winters shape the trees' annual cycle and the development of their olives.

Since the late 1990s, these olive groves have been managed according to the principles of organic farming. The family seeks to maintain the natural fertility of the land through practices that foster soil life and reduce the need for external inputs. The presence of cover crops and the use of organic matter help protect the land from erosion and maintain a more diverse ecosystem around the olive trees.

Soler Romero also applies a circular economy model in which various by-products generated during agricultural activity and production can be repurposed. Residues from the olive groves and olives are incorporated back into the production cycle whenever possible, reducing waste and helping to return nutrients to the soil.

Biodiversity is another key part of this philosophy. The olive grove is not seen merely as a succession of trees intended to produce olives, but as an ecosystem in which soil, vegetation, insects, birds, and other species fulfill different functions. Maintaining this balance is part of a strategy aimed at conserving the estate for the long term.

In this way, the 600 hectares of Finca Solana, the Picual variety, organic farming, and more than a century of family tradition form the main pillars of Soler Romero. The result is a project in which the land of Alcaudete and the method of caring for the olive groves are just as important as the work subsequently performed at the oil mill.