The Davante School of Hospitality and Tourism has again placed extra virgin olive oil at the center of gastronomic training with an online seminar and tasting dedicated to three protected designation of origin oils: Aceite de Madrid, Sierra Mágina, and Sierra del Moncayo. The event, broadcasted live for students from various locations in Spain, reinforces the educational value of AOVE as an essential product of gastronomic culture and Spanish agri-food heritage.
The session took place at the Hotel Escuela Madrid and gathered three key figures linked to the knowledge, dissemination, and protection of quality oil: Esther Alonso, director of the Regulatory Council of the DOP Aceite de Madrid; Jesús Sutil, representative of the DOP Sierra Mágina; and Miguel Ángel Vicente, gastronomic communicator and director of El Gastrónomo Zaragozano, responsible for presenting the DOP Aceite Sierra del Moncayo.
At the beginning of the meeting, Esther Alonso explained to the students the uniqueness of Aceite de Madrid, a denomination marked by the influence of neighboring Castilian territories. During her talk, she detailed the production area, authorized varieties, and organoleptic characteristics of this DOP, and reminded that each AOVE under protection must contain at least two of the accepted varieties. She also took the opportunity to clarify the differences between the various qualities of olive oil to the attendees.
Next, Jesús Sutil took the floor to share with the students the reality of Sierra Mágina, located in Jaén, one of the country’s major production references. His presentation focused on the complexity of the territory and how the geography even affects the mechanization of harvesting. Sutil also explained what a designation of origin means, defined in the session as “an olive grove, a territory, a series of requirements that must be met, and specific characteristics of the product”, differentiating it from a protected geographical indication.
The segment dedicated to Aragón was presented by Miguel Ángel Vicente, who introduced the DOP Aceite Sierra del Moncayo in Madrid, geographically situating it in the province of Zaragoza and emphasizing the influence of the cierzo wind and the Moncayo mountain as factors that impart personality to the product. Vicente further highlighted the quality-driven approach that propels this designation, prioritizing it over production volumes, and described the main sensory notes of the AOVE protected by this label.
Beyond the theoretical aspect, the day had a marked practical character. Miguel Ángel Vicente was responsible for introducing the students to the basic keys of extra virgin olive oil tasting, explaining how to approach sensory analysis and what positive attributes can be identified in an extra virgin oil. From there, attendees tasted the AOVE from Sierra del Moncayo, while Esther Alonso and Jesús Sutil later guided tastings of Aceite de Madrid and Sierra Mágina, respectively.
The comparison between the three oils allowed the students to directly experience the aromatic and flavorful richness that exists within the Spanish olive oil landscape. This contrast between territories, varieties, and sensory profiles made the session an especially valuable learning tool for future hospitality and gastronomy professionals.
With initiatives like this, Davante reinforces an increasingly present idea in current gastronomic training: knowing AOVE is not just about identifying an ingredient but understanding the landscape, origin, and work behind each designation. In a country that leads in olive oil culture, training students in this diversity also means creating advocates capable of conveying to consumers the real value of an exceptional product.
