Interview: Tiago Mendonça – owner of ETHOS olive oil

“The Mondego Valley region is considered an area of excellence for olive oil production, due to its unique characteristics”

Tiago Mendonça, owner of ETHOS olive oil, was born in Lisbon but has family ties to the Mondego Valley. He studied at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon. In the Mondego Valley, on his family's properties, he produces ETHOS Cobrançosa olive oil, which won Gold Medals at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition 2025 in New York and OLIVE JAPAN 2025, two of the most prestigious international extra virgin olive oil competitions. He considers these awards "an honor that confirms Portuguese excellence in the world of olive oil."

GUARDA : ETHOS Cobrançosa olive oil recently won Gold Medals in two of the most prestigious international extra virgin olive oil competitions. How did you receive the news of these medals?

Tiago Mendonça: We received the news with great satisfaction, pride, and joy, for being recognized as one of the 10 best olive oils in the world, in a competition that included five Spanish and three Italian olive oils, among many others.

These recognitions make us want to keep working, to always strive to do more and even better.

In the Japanese competition, ETHOS Galega and ETHOS Galega Olivais Velhos were also awarded medals, and these awards confirm that we are on the right track. They are recognition of the quality of our products, which stem from a long-standing passion in a region with a long tradition of olive oil production.

A GUARDA: What motivated you to enter these two competitions in such different places in the world?

Tiago Mendonça: The Japan and New York competitions are two of the most prestigious in the world, and they're where the best are, and we also want to be, to showcase the potential of our products. ETHOS olive oils have participated in these and other competitions over the years, and fortunately, we've won awards every year with different varieties of olive oil.

A GUARDA: Are these medals confirmation of Portuguese excellence in the world of olive oil?

Tiago Mendonça: Yes, they are confirmation of Portuguese excellence and, particularly, of the quality of Beira olive oils, which are, in our opinion , the best in the country.

The Mondego Valley region is considered an area of excellence for olive oil production due to its unique characteristics. Furthermore, our olive grove is organically produced, respecting natural life cycles and soil protection, and avoiding the use of herbicides. The results we obtain with each production reflect the olive grove's unique qualities and the rigorous control we maintain throughout the process, from production to extraction.

A GUARDA: What distinguishes this olive oil to make it so special?

Tiago Mendonça: Our olive oils are distinguished by their terroir—the climate, altitude, soil, and sun exposure—and by being in an area where everyone has olive trees. It's a culture very close to the people, which makes the area special. There's a long tradition of olive oil production in the region, and therefore, there's a wealth of knowledge built on decades of experience.

Then comes the careful preparation of the olive oil. A fantastic olive oil requires perfect production at every stage. The trees must be well pruned to allow sunlight to shine through; and the fruit must be treated with care so it arrives healthy when harvested. Only then can the olive oil retain all the aromas of the olive tree. Therefore, we have healthy olives, carefully picked and taken to a dedicated mill, where the oil is made the same day, cold pressed, with impeccable hygiene.

The process is rigorously controlled: the leaves are separated, the olives are washed, and the fruit arrives, with all its qualities, at the hammer mill where it is ground. In the blender, the olive mass is thoroughly homogenized with cold water and passed to the decanter where, through centrifugation, the oil is separated from the pomace. This is where our olive oil emerges, which we then take to temporary storage, where it rests for a few days. A filtration process follows, and the oil is ready to be bottled, perfect, with all the flavor of the olives that made it.

It is an olive oil made with a lot of love and care.

A GUARDA: What are the main markets for ETHOS olive oil?

Tiago Mendonça: Right now, our focus is on the domestic market, because we've focused on quality before focusing on quantity, but we're also trying to establish ourselves in Brazil and Northern Europe.

Participating in these international competitions and winning medals gives us the visibility we need to expand. ETHOS has also won an award in a Brazilian competition, so we believe it's possible to enter that market.

THE GUARD: How was ETHOS Cobrançosa olive oil born?

Tiago Mendonça: Olive oil has been in our family for many years. In 1940, my grandfather already had a mill, and olives were always harvested and produced in the family. At Quinta de São João, olive oil has always been a passion, and I decided to maintain the legacy. We acquired two other estates, also in the Mondego Valley—Quinta da Campanária, where we have the mill, and Quinta de São João, where we also produce Ethos wine. We maintained the centuries-old olive groves, planted new ones, and built a modern mill. Today, we dedicate ourselves to honoring traditions, although we have modernized the process.

Our olive oils have always been monovarietal. Each olive variety is harvested separately, and the oil is also made separately. Cobrançosa was a variety we introduced about 15 years ago and has produced a fantastic olive oil. It's a delicate, fresh, harmonious oil, made from primarily green olives. Ideal with bread and as a salad dressing.

A GUARDA: There is a big investment in the centuries-old olive grove, but also in new plantations?

Tiago Mendonça: Yes, we have a mix of centuries-old olive groves and new plantations, particularly of the Cobrançosa variety, but also, of course, our queen Galega, a variety from Beira, and Cordovil.

A GUARDA: How do you see the future of this sector?

Tiago Mendonça: Portuguese olive oil, in general, is among the best in the world, so I look to the future with hope. Regarding ETHOS, I believe in the quality of our olive oil. I hope that Portuguese consumers will become more aware of these high-quality olive oils. For those who want to learn more about us, we offer tours of our farms, where you can visit the mill, learn about the entire olive oil production process, and taste the different varieties. The Mondego Valley is wonderful, and we offer a magnificent tour through centuries-old olive groves, surrounded by the unique landscape of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.