HISTORY AND PLANTATION

Alfredo Rossi and Bernardita Echeverría are the owners of Agrícola Olivícola Oliovalle Limitada, located in the Limari Valley near Ovalle in Northern Chile. They are responsible for yearning to produce the best extra virgin Chilean olive oil, understanding that they possess great comparative advantage due to the region, the selected crops and the delicate handling they promote.

Alfredo is the grandson of immigrants from Tuscany, the beautiful and traditional region near Florence, Italy. A region that produces the best olive oils in the world. His grandfather Francesco Rossi Novelli strongly influenced him, especially in everything related to the Mediterranean diet that is based on extra virgin olive oil.
 

Bernardita is of Basque Spanish origin and granddaughter of a farmer of Curicó, Amaro Olivares Cuevas. She was responsible for implementing the project. First, she had to learn and study the art of olive culture and olive oil. She attended the first Certification program offered in the country by the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Chile called “Production of Olive Oil”. She has continued her training by attending specialized courses and seminars in Chile as well as in Europe. Currently she is also member of the professional “tasting panel” (in formation) of The Olive Oil Producers Association Chile Oliva (Asociación de Productores de Aceite de Oliva Chile Oliva).

The olive groves of Agrícola Oliovalle planted in 2006 are the basis for the production of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They are located on the characteristic soils of the San Julián series, near the old town of Cerrillos, located in an agricultural sector. These soils are of incipient evolution, with an ideal climate, and especially with a natural energy which is seen by the biodiversity and the productivity of the orchards.

The orchard shares the influence of climatic transition from the coast to the interior, with gentle thermal oscillation and excellent brightness. Rainfall, unlike in the Mediterranean basin, is concentrated in the cold months, the greater demand of water, in the summer months has to be provided by irrigation, with waters arising from the Andes.

Oliovalle, is located very close to Fray Jorge National Park, an old forest of particular characteristics, located in the North of the country. This forest has unusual species of trees such as: quillayes, boldus, peumus, in addition to some species of Valdivian forest ferns and cinnamon trees.

The varieties of olive trees, carefully selected for production of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, have an excellent adaptability to terroir (soil and climate) and consequently the finest sensorial features.
  The plantation of Oliovalle includes the frantoio olive variety, native of Tuscany ,Italy, that possesses a great organoleptic quality, very fruitful and harmonious, the arbequina variety, native of Spain,  of high productivity and elegant, the coratina variety , from Puglia, Italy,  of intense character to the nose and the mouth and finally the Leccino variety of the central zone of Italy.