VIRENS comes from Zahara de la Sierra, Andalusia, Spain, in a territory recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (1986) and Natural Park.

Here, olive trees adapt to the land and learn to grow among rocks and steep slopes, to resist strong winds and survive water scarcity. These extreme and constant challenges shape a resilient tree, capable of producing extraordinary fruit.

The concept of “mountain olive groves” is still not widely known, but it represents one of the oldest and most valuable forms of olive cultivation. Unlike intensive production models, traditional mountain groves yield less—but what they produce is of exceptional quality, impossible to replicate. The altitude, soil, temperature, and water stress push the tree to activate natural defense mechanisms—those same defenses are the phenolic compounds that enrich our olive oil.

VIRENS is here to show that not all extra virgin olive oils are the same. Choosing mountain EVOO means choosing both flavor and health. We want to protect traditional groves, raise awareness, and spread this message across Andalusia—where thousands of hectares of olive trees in disadvantaged areas could find in this differentiation a path to survival, with a major impact on public health.