Orchards of Knolive Oils

Where: Priego de Córdoba, Spain

Hectares: 98

Olive trees: 9800

Primary cultivars: 1/3 (33%) division amongst Picual, Picuda & Hojiblanca

Single or multiple orchards: Two orchards

Knolive Oils, S.L. is an olive oil producer based in Priego de Córdoba in Andalucía, Spain. The original operations, founded in 1858, holds about 98 hectares totalling approximately 9800 olive trees. (About 100 olive trees per hectare was cited) The company has two orchards. Its land is situated approximately 600-800 metres above sea level.

The company is headed by sixth generation family member Alberto Yévenes. The shareholders of Knolive, Oils S.L. include family members (relationally to Alberto): María Encarnación García (mother), Sara Yévenes (sister) and Alberto.

The company is affiliated to a group of companies principally owned by the family that are in the business of: Harvesting Extra Virgin Olive Oil from their two orchards; purchasing olives from local farmers to produce Extra Virgin Olive Oil under the company’s brand labels (listed below); and bulk selling olive oil to countries such as Italy. The company has also sold olive oil paste as live stock feed.

(The companies in the group of companies include: Knolive Oils, S.L., Hispasur Aceites, S.L., Subbética Cordobesa de Aceites, S.L., Aceites de la Subbética, S.L. Oleícola Cordobesa, S.L.)

The company’s brands of Extra Virgin Olive Oil include:

• Knolive Epicure – Picuda & Hojiblanca
• Knolive – Picuda
• Knolive – Hojiblanca
• Knolive – Arbequina
• Hispasur Gold – Picual
• Hispasur Silver – Arbequina

It was cited that each year the company produces approximately 3.5 million litres of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (labelled under the above brands): About 500,000 litres from their two orchards and approximately 3 million litres from the purchase of olives from 70-80 local farmers.

In the bulk trading side of the business (operating under one of its affiliated companies), the predecessor, Francisco Yévenes (fifth generation, and Alberto’s father), was cited as having expanded the company substantially in this area of the business. “[My] father was trading 30 million litres per year,” Alberto spoke about the company’s activity under his father’s tenure. Today, the company trades at approximately 50 million litres per year. Francisco Yévenes passed away on December 31, 2018.

In 2015 Alberto had the idea to build an olive oil brand called Knolive, and in 2016, the new brand went to market.

An interesting fact is that the family’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, under the Hispasur brand, was sourced by the Spanish Royal family for the 2004 wedding of King Felipe VI to Queen Litizia.

The company was originally created in 1858 by third great-grandfather to the current generation. It was cited that the original proprietor initially purchased 7-8 hectares of land. The family’s holdings grew from there. The company employs 14 staff regularly, and during harvest season, the team grows to approximately 35.

All of the company’s branded Extra Virgin Olive Oils (listed above) are cold extracted and milled at night to avoid producing olive oil in warm temperatures. The olive oils are then stored in the company’s facility: Approximately 60 tanks that hold 54 tonnes of olive oil each.