On the slopes of the Serra de Tramuntana are concentrated most of Mallorca’s olive trees destined for the production of olive oil. The special climatic conditions of the island differentiate this oil from those produced in other parts of the Spanish territory. Precisely this differentiation is one of the main factors that in 2002 led to the creation of the Regulatory Council of the Denomination of Origin Oli de Mallorca. After almost two decades of activity, this DO already has more than 1000 olive growers, 24 packers and 14 oil mills.
The proximity to the sea of the olive groves and the moderate climate of the island make Mallorcan olive oil have a characteristic fruity aroma, elegant in the mouth due to its softness and balance. This elaborate flavor has been achieved thanks to a long tradition that goes back to the 19th century, when olive oil production accounted for 80% of the island’s exports. From that moment, the extension of the island olive grove began to decrease in favor of other more profitable crops. Today, these olive groves are mostly concentrated in the mountainous area of the Serra de Tramuntana.
Mallorca is known for being a holiday destination for many European tourists who, among many other things, remainThey are fascinated by the quality of the island’s oil. This makes many of them decide to takepraise his acquaintances when they return to their countries of origin, which further strengthens the brand of olive oil from Mallorca internationally. With this you can see the importance of a designation of origin that brings together producers and distributors of this product and makes the joint work have an impact on a greater quantity of sales for all those who are protected under this designation.
Son Naava is an example of olive oil production with Denomination of Origin Oli de Mallorca. For them, this labeling implies being much more competitive due to its ability to instill confidence in the customer, who knows that they are buying a quality certified product. In fact, that is surely one of the reasons why more than a hundred brands are assigned to this DO. And that barely registered productions of qualified oil greater than 400,000 liters.
To obtain the Oli de Mallorca Denomination of Origin seal, a series of requirements must be met. The first would be to work with the four varieties of olives protected by the DO, which are Mallorquina, Arbequina, Picual and Empeltre. The oil must also come from the mills registered in the appellation of origin, which must follow the standards set out in the specifications of the DO and always use fruits from olive groves on the island.
The hit of the Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic, like everything else, has also affected the olive oil of Mallorca. Restrictions on mobility, the cessation of arrival of tourists to the island, the closure of restaurants and the containment of spending in the shopping basket, due to the fear that dominated in this period, profoundly affected the marketing figures of this product. This effect had its maximum exponent in 2020, although in this 2021 the levels of prepandemic sales are not recovering, despite the fact that timid increases are being noticed with the lifting of the restrictions.
The pandemic also caused the online marketing of olive oil from Mallorca to increase. Many customers bought the product on their trips to the island and with the restrictions on flights they were forced to look for other ways to get it. This shows how the Denomination of Origin Oli de Mallorca is an internationally recognized quality seal and a good strategy to promote a strong product on the island.