| The cortijo's olive grove, for which the property was named of course, is an old olive grove and measures some 17.000m (4 acres) in all. It contained 144 trees, all of which were in production and many of which are over a hundred years old. The main variety grown was the locally preferred variety of olive, the Lechín de Sevilla or also known simply as Lechino but there are also some Manzanilla and Gordal trees which produce excellent table olives. The Lechín was more popularly grown in the region as it not only provided a good harvest of olives but also provided a good supply of firewood. The olive trees are farmed organically.
The olives ripen in the cooler autumn weather, changing colour firstly from green to purple and then to black. The ripening process varies from year to year as it greatly depends on the weather. They are usually harvested throughout the months of November and December but the harvest can continue on into January. Despite the general decline in olive cultivation in the area, it is still regarded as a major event in the area. The whole family and neighbours turn out at the weekend and help with the harvest, retiring at midday for a well earned picnic lunch.
The olives were then taken to the nearby olive mill, Molino Félix Pérez, and were pressed by 2 large revolving stones in time-honoured fashion. This mill is the last surviving mill in the area and still uses traditional methods to produce a superb darker unrefined oil. The Lechín de Sevilla variety produces well and the harvest of our 144 trees could weigh up to 5.000kg. The pruning of the trees generally began after the harvest and usually lasted until February when the temperature really started to rise. It is best carried out during the coolest months of the year, January and February, as this minimises any damage to the trees.
We increased the size of the olive grove by planting 80 new trees, along the driveway and around the house itself. We planted 3 varieties, the Hojiblanco, the Manzanilla, and the Picual. all these varieties are much improved on older cultivated stock. They produce smaller trees and crop heavily every year. They also produce the finest grade olive oil.
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