What makes our olive oil so special
Often the most valued treasures are found off the beaten path, and this is particularly true of Elaioladiki's olive oil, produced in one of the oldest olive oil making regions of Greece. It all starts with the olives, grown in the fertile soils of Peloponnese under ideal climatic and environmental conditions. It continues with the fruit harvesting, the oil extraction at the mill, the packaging and finally the storage in a clean, cool, dry place so none of the essential oil nutrients are lost before our organic extra virgin olive oil reaches your table.

Keep reading and you will find out why premium quality is what our customers have come to expect from us.

Location

Variety and cultivation

Harvesting and handling

Oil extraction

Packaging and storage

Distribution

Location
Our business is located in Peloponnese near Eleohorion village, which in Greek means “the village of olive oil”. It was given that name, to indicate the social and economical importance of olive growing in a area blessed with the perfect climate for such cultivation. Farmers in southern Greece don't grow olives just because the consumer demand has increased worldwide, but because it's part of their culture and diet for thousands of years.

Fact: Greeks consume more olive oil per capita than in any other country.

Variety and cultivation
The variety of our table olives is Kalamata (a.k.a Calamata or Kalamon), world famous for its unique fruity flavor and meaty texture. Our "Oreino" olive oil is extracted from Manaki olives, while our "Lakonian" oil comes from 4 different local varieties (Athinoelia, Asproelia, Koronaiki, Koutsouroelia).

Because the olive has fewer natural enemies than other crops, and the trees are naturally resistant to most pests, there is no need to rely on any pesticides. We have adopted biological farming methods, which means that the olive trees are never subject to any chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified organisms; and all that while keeping the soil alive and fertile.

Fact: Greek olive oil offers the highest quality level, with more than 80 percent of classed as extra virgin. Only 50 percent of Italian oil, and 40 percent of Spanish, can gain that classification.

Harvesting and handling
We make sure that olives are treated carefully. After all, olive is a fruit, with a delicate nature sensitive to pressure and temperature. Even a slight abrasion causes acidity, dampness and fermentation which diminishes the beneficial health effects and decreases the shelf-life of the final product. For that reason, ground olives are not collected and only the finest quality tree fruits is kept. The collected olives are transported in well aerated containers and milled within 24 hours of harvesting.

Fact: Olive trees in Greece are often grown in rugged, near-inaccessible areas, which makes harvesting labor-intensive. Olives are frequently hand-picked and pressed on the same day, for reasons of quality. These factors keep Greece from being a mass market producer.

Oil extraction
For the extraction of olive oil, only mechanical means and warm water is used with temperatures below 27°C (80°F), which qualifies our oil as “cold extracted”. The temperature of malaxation and extraction is crucial because it has an important effect on olive oil quality. When high temperatures are applied the more volatile aromas are lost and the rate of oil oxidation is increased, producing therefore lower quality oils. In addition, the chemical content of the polyphenols, antioxidants, and vitamins in the oil are destroyed by higher temperatures. No chemical treatment to neutralize strong tastes or the acid content is used.

Fact: For olive oil bottled outside EU countries any regulation concerning the "First/Cold Pressed" designations does not apply, therefore the consumer has no assurance that these statements are true. For other common deceptive terms click here.

Packaging and Storage
Good storage is extremely important for the shelf-life of olive oil, as well as the conservation of its desirable flavor components, and its health-promoting nutrients. For that reason, our oil is stored in clean non-reactive containers at temperatures below 15C (59F), safe from the heat and light exposure.

Fact: Don't fall for all these fancy transparent bottles. Light causes rapid oxidation, making your precious olive oil go rancid quickly. For great storage tips click here.

Distribution
We are actively looking for distributors, resellers and other types of partnerships from all over the world. Our organic products are currently USDA/NOP and EU 2092/91 certified.

Fact: According to the International Olive Oil Council, U.S. imports of olive oil have more than doubled within the past 10 years. Similar trends appear to emerge in other countries as well.