The House Where Olives Live

This is an olive oil and tapas tasting brunch, olive oil in place of wine, hosted by Maria Reyes — a fourth-generation producer from Linares, Jaén — in her family's 1909 home in Alcalá de Guadaíra, 30 minutes from Seville and a genuine escape from the tourist center. You taste three of Reyes's small-batch extra virgin olive oils — drawn from her family's own groves in Jaén or blended from oils she sources across Andalusia. All are early-harvest, pressed in October from the season's first green fruits — the most prized pressing of the year when the flavor is at its most vibrant. Reyes compares her olives to people: "In October, they're green. Now they're golden. They change with time." Each is paired with a specific tapa: Picual with Cantabrian anchovies, another with fig pâté, a third with two goat cheeses that have edible rind, alongside cured meats, and breads that make up an unhurried Andalusian brunch. The oils are genuinely different, and they change what you taste.

This is a homecoming Reyes shares with you. Her family has produced olive oil in Jaén for four generations — so she speaks with the authority of a producer: sourcing oils from the family land or small producers across Andalusia and combining them into finished oils under her own label. Olive farming in this part of Spain was historically male dominated. Reyes is now at the helm, and she attributes some of the quality to a different approach: "Women's fingers don't bruise the fruit," she says. The farm is certified organic and part of Olivares Vivos, a European project restoring biodiversity to olive groves. Her oils have won awards despite the small production. The setting has is special: Reyes converted the lower level of the 1909 house owned by a priest in the family and preserved it with family furniture and objects. This isn't a shop or a tasting room in any commercial sense. In her own words: "An olive oil experience is only as good as what stays with you long after you leave."

Besides being an exceptional Experience Maker and cultural travel pioneer, Maria Reyes is a fourth-generation steward of her family's olive farm in Linares, Jaén. After working behind the scenes in olive production for years, she stepped forward to build her own brand, carrying forward a legacy once reserved for the men in her family. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Reyes brings both technical knowledge and heartfelt passion to the guests she hosts. Her unique perspective — feminine, familial, and fiercely proud — transforms a tasting into something much more meaningful.

Curiosity for taste, scent, and story. Comfortable clothes. ** If you're staying in Seville, arrange a taxi or Uber to Alcalá de Guadaíra — the ride takes about 30 minutes.