The
province of Mendoza in Argentina is known as the land of the bright sun and
finest wines. This beautiful historical place is a very strong region from a
productive point of view. The local soil generates nutrients and offers ideal
conditions to produce high-quality food products. These natural factors, along
with human hard work, technological innovations, and clear vision, gave birth
to one of the best extra virgin olive oils in the world. This year, the famous
brand Olivícola Laur
has confirmed its high status as a leader in the industry and became the winner
of Luxury Lifestyle Awards
in the category of The Best Luxury Olive Oils in the World.
The
olive oil factory Laur was founded in 1906 by a French
immigrant, Don Francisco Laur, in Cruz de Piedra, Maipu. It was a pioneering
company in the implementation of olive trees in Mendoza and in the olive oil
industry at large. After ninety years of successful work, in 1996, the factory
incorporated modern machines to extract olive, which marked the implementation
of the technological upgrade process. The continuous centrifugal extraction
system produced a notable increase in productivity while maintaining high
quality in the factory’s products.
The
year 2010 was signified by a change of ownership of the Laur:
the factory was acquired by the Millan family. The new owner, Jose Millan, has
set the goal to make the company the best olive oil producer in Argentina. His
strong vision, backed by the wealth of experience and energy of a new general
manager and winemaker Gabriel Guardia, made it possible to achieve this goal
and go much further. In 2019 The EVOO World Ranking named Laur
the 4th most important olive oil
factory in the world and the 1st
one in Argentina.
In
the course of the research, Luxury Lifestyle Awards experts
paid special attention to one of the brand’s most successful products, extra
virgin olive oil Laur Cruz de Piedra. This product is
cultivated in the ten acres of Finca Cruz de Piedra. Laur Cruz de
Piedra Blend de Terroir is a blend made from the varieties Arbequina,
Frantoio and the Argentinian Arauco. With fruity aromas of green olives, and an
intense presence of apple and banana; in the mouth it is a light, sweet oil with
a predominance of green notes of freshly cut grass, spicy and bitter with a
marked presence but at the same time delicate on the palate, and has less than
0,5% acidity.
It´s also gluten
free, and kosher and organic certify. It pairs well with green
vegetable starters, sweet meat like pork and even intensifies the flavour of
vanilla ice cream. Cruz de Piedra excels in all the elements
that confirm it as an excellent virgen extra olive oil.
The
award-winning olive oil is perfectly matched with such dishes as soups, grilled
steaks, sauces, and bruschetta.
Today
the doors of Olivícola Laur are open to visitors who can take
a guided informative tour of the centennial olive grove, olive oil and balsamic
factory, the on-site olive oil museum, and the storefront. In the museum,
guests have the opportunity to witness old tools and presses that pressed the
first olives in Mendoza. The guides take the visitors through each stage of the
factory’s history and technological process. At the end of the tour, the visitors
can taste such products as olive paste, dried tomatoes, famous Laur
olive oil, homemade bread, and buy them in the well-stocked shop.
