Aceite Valle del Tiétar, an extra virgin olive oil from south Ávila in central Spain, has been registered by the European Commission as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
PGI status is an EU quality label that links a product to a specific place, meaning its production, processing or preparation must take place in the named area, the Commission said in a release on Tuesday.
The newly protected oil comes from olives grown on terraces in the Tiétar Valley and is described as having a complex sensory profile dominated by bitterness, fruitiness and pungency.
Evidence from environmental markers indicates olive cultivation in the area dates back to the second century.
Local ordinances from 1611 recorded bans on removing local trees to reinforce varietal inbreeding for olive trees, the Commission said, adding that the olive harvest remains a century-old tradition in the area.
Added to the EU’s register of protected names
Aceite Valle del Tiétar becomes one of more than 3,900 protected names listed in the EU’s eAmbrosia database of geographical indications, according to the Commission.
The registration was published in the EU’s Official Journal.
