It was on a sunny October afternoon that we travelled to the quiet village of Galegos, in the municipality of Marvão, located in the heart of the Serra de S. Mamede, at an altitude of 600m, almost touching our neighbour Spain.
We were surprised by the calm and tranquillity of this idyllic place, where we found a truly passionate business, just like this place. A family business since 1954, where the knowledge of how to extract good flavour from olives has been passed down from generation to generation, stored in the walls of the mill and in the genes of the Nunes family.
We couldn't resist delving into this beautiful story, told by Antonio Melara.
DF: António, tell us how this exciting story began.
AM: From a very young age, I used to go to the village and watch my great-grandfather Francisco Nunes work, a truly entrepreneurial and visionary man with a restless and always dynamic spirit. He bought the space where the village's first industrial unit was installed: the olive press. This space was supplied with energy by the watermill, or moinho da Dorna, a unique construction that brings to mind old stories and exciting adventures... In the 1960s, he continued to modernise the lagar by the hand of his son António Picado Nunes, a multifaceted, rigorous and hard-working man. At that time, several presses, various machines and equipment were acquired and the surrounding area was extended and improved.
DF: And what other stories do they tell you about those times?
AM: In the last century, in the centre of the village, there was a busy shop or tavern, which was sometimes transformed into a ballroom for dances and parties. At the time of the olive harvest, the ranches of people that filled the fields also gave the village a new lease of life.
In the mill, the boiler was always on, which provided a real conviviality and warmed the soul in those harsh winters. But the pinnacle of pleasure was when the golden thread began to come to life, and then it was a real treat for the senses. It was the birth of new oil.
DF: Times have changed and you've had to adapt to new realities. How did António's journey start until he got here?
AM: I was born in Lisbon, the son of an architect father and a history teacher mother, and I started an architecture course that I didn't finish. Whenever I came to the village of Galegos and looked at my grandfather's business, I realised that the architecture course didn't suit me and it was then that I decided to take a course in Marketing Management, so that I could later use my knowledge to boost my family's business.
Years later, the family decided on the future of the company, deciding that the company and its activities should be handed over to young António, me. I was irrevocably marked by the land of Galegos. In the many seasons I spent in the village, at my grandparents' house, I learned to love the countryside, the land, the smells and the flavours.
My grandmother Carmelin, who was born in Madrid to a wealthy bourgeois family and who decided to stay in Galegos forever and "for love", was a determining factor in my future attitude, as she taught me the importance of dedication, generosity and determination, values that I still preserve today, both personally and in my commitment to this business.
DF: And what year was the real turning point for the brand you have today?
AM: In 2010 the new concept of a mill was born in a renovated space where, without forgetting the past, we continue to produce this nectar, extracted cold, and there the Castelo de Marvão Olive Oil brand was created.
DF: What variety of olives do you pick to produce your oil?
AM: Only Galician olives. No other. With this variety we have obtained a unique PDO (protected designation of origin) certification.
DF: If you had to define your oil, what would you say?
AM: It is a fine olive oil with a high acidity, a golden colour, a ripe fruity aroma, smooth and extremely tasty.
DF: When is the best time to pick Galician olives?
AM: Family tradition dictates that the olive grove be harvested after All Saints' Day, the branches combed by hand and the best olive oil in the world extracted cold.
DF: What varieties of olive oil can we find here?
AM: We currently produce three references:
- Marvão Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Galega PDO
- Organic Virgin Galician Olive Oil
DF: If you want to visit the village of Galegos, what can you expect from this new project?
AM: We are currently continuing our olive oil activity, organising guided tours of the olive grove, mill and museum. We have the possibility of joining groups for lunch or dinner, or even for a simple olive oil tasting. For those who find it difficult to leave this magical place, we also have local accommodation, where only the tranquillity of the Serra de S. Mamede can be felt.
DF: And what does the future hold?
AM: Many projects are planned, always preserving the village of Galegos and the enormous legacy left to me. All in good time!
