Meet the Picual: A Legendary Olive with a Fresh California Twist

When we launched The Virgin Organic, we set out to create two signature olive oils—each with a distinct personality. Our first selection was the bold and rare Coratina, a cultivar with serious bite. Our second? The timeless Picual.

Originally from Spain’s Andalusia region, Picual is the most widely grown olive in the world. In Spain alone, it accounts for over half the country’s olive crop. The name comes from pico, Spanish for “beak,” a nod to the olive’s pointed tip.

But don’t let its popularity fool you—Picual is anything but generic. Its flavor is soft yet complex, with a touch of bitterness and a gentle peppery finish. The California-grown version, like ours, brings even more nuance: notes of tomato leaf, green almond, and a subtle grassy freshness.

The Picual olive arrived in the Americas in the 1500s, thanks to Spanish explorers. Today, it’s gaining new life as more growers focus on premium, high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil.

Our 2024 harvest of The Virgin Organic Picual is a standout: nutty, smooth, and layered with ripe olive, green grass, and artichoke. With a polyphenol count of 415, it’s both flavorful and functional—ideal for cooking, drizzling, or finishing a dish with finesse.

Estate-grown, certified organic, and extremely limited. One of the finest all-around olive oils you’ll find in the U.S.