Mercedes Uceda, professional taster and co-founder of Molino & Cata, in the Granada olive oil library

Mercedes Uceda · professional olive oil taster

Mercedes Uceda

Co-founder of Molino & Cata

Biologist and expert in tasting virgin olive oils. She selects every oil in the shop, leads the tastings in the olive oil library, and advises olive oil mills on production. She is a judge at international competitions and a tasting lecturer at the University of Jaén.

Education
Biology, University of Granada (2006) · Tasting expert, University of Jaén
Career
Cajamar Research Centre · a decade as quality manager at IADA Ingenieros
Judging
Evooleum, Ovibeja, Los Angeles IOOC and Alcuza Awards
Advisory
SCA Sierra de la Pandera (Jabalcuz), Mario Solinas Award 2025
«We explain the production process, what each variety is like, its differences… What we want is for people to leave happy and with a good oil.»
Mercedes Uceda to Ideal, 21 Jul 2026

What she does at Molino & Cata

If an oil is in the shop, she has tasted it.

  • Selects the oilsTastes each sample in an official COI glass. In the 2025/26 campaign, she chose 43 out of 464. How she does it
  • Leads the tastingsGuided tastings in Spanish and English in the room on Calle Paz. View the tastings
  • Advises olive oil millsHarvesting and production, as with SCA Sierra de la Pandera. Professional services

Career

Teaching, judging panels and publications.

Teaching

  • Lecturer for the Expert in Virgin Olive Oil Tasting degree, University of Jaén
  • Specialized training at UNIA and the Junta de Andalucía's IFAPA
  • Lecturer for the Terra Oleum International University Course in Sensory Analysis (Fundación del Olivar)
  • Sensory analysis in the Olive Oil Mill Masters Course, Úbeda, 2026
  • Tasting courses at the Olive and Oil Interpretation Centre, 2026

Judging and publications

  • Judge at Evooleum, Ovibeja, Los Angeles IOOC and the Alcuza Awards
  • «Composition and quality of virgin olive oils. The influence of the variety», in El olivar y su aceite (2013), with Marino Uceda
  • A la Sombra del Olivo podcast, about olive oil culture

In the media and on Aprende

Interviews and articles.

Tastings

Tasting with Mercedes on Calle Paz.

90 minutes, in Spanish or English.

Book a tasting · €39 View the oils she selected