Upstart Albea Blanca strikes gold

Though no one would doubt his level of intellect, it might seem a bit of a stretch to imagine that an aerospace and aviation expert could become an award-winning extra virgin olive oil purveyor in just one year. Yet that’s exactly what Spain’s Alfonso Palazuelo did. As director of the Compañía Española de Técnica Aeronáutica, Palazuelo has long been traveling the world. Throughout frequent visits to the United States, driven by his “side” passion for gastronomy, he began to notice an absence of the high-quality olive oils enjoyed by Spanish chefs coming out of American kitchens.