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Olive groves look more like hedgerows in the densely planted fields of Sovena, the largest olive oil producer in Portugal. The company, with a modernistic mill built in 2010, tends to some ten million olive trees in the Alentejo region—some certified organic—fed by high-efficiency drip irrigation systems supplied by the nearby Alqueva Reservoir, the largest man-made lake in western Europe. The region produces some of the best olive oils and wines in the world, and like wine, each oil has its own terroir—a flavor that varies depending on the variety, soils, and microclimate of the farm. Mechanical harvesting is a growing trend in olive oil production, as it reduces labor costs and shortens the time between harvest and crushing, giving the oil a more intense flavor.

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Olive groves look more like hedgerows in the densely planted fields of Sovena, the largest olive oil producer in Portugal. The company, with a modernistic mill built in 2010, tends to some ten million olive trees in the Alentejo region—some certified organic—fed by high-efficiency drip irrigation systems supplied by the nearby Alqueva Reservoir, the largest man-made lake in western Europe. The region produces some of the best olive oils and wines in the world, and like wine, each oil has its own terroir—a flavor that varies depending on the variety, soils, and microclimate of the farm. Mechanical harvesting is a growing trend in olive oil production, as it reduces labor costs and shortens the time between harvest and crushing, giving the oil a more intense flavor.

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