Our olive groves are located next to the ancient city of Elyros, in the rocky area, Selino, in the prefecture of Chania , Crete, at an altitude of 500 to 700 meters in a rough and rugged terrain , very hard to reach at places with no road access to the majority of the olive groves.
Cultivation and harvesting are extremely challenging due to the morphology of the ground and the size of the trees.
No use of chemical fertilizers or sprays is done so that our olive juice will be as healthy as our ancestors produced it, before 200 years.
Following the traditional ways of generations and respecting what this mountain nature gave us generously, we treat each tree individually according to its needs.
At an average height of about 11 meters with some over 18 meters and an average age of around 200 years , each tree has a different “personality” and so we treat each as unique.
The microclimate of the area, is an ideal ally to out effort. Sunny and windy are the best conditions whilst blossoming and cold rainy days during harvest protect them naturally from diseases and make fertilizing much easier.
Varieties
The main variety is tsounati. This rare olive tree has been around since Minoan times and indeed some of the trees in the area are landmarks due to their size and age.
Most of these trees grow naturally around the rocks and flourish over the years as the altitude and climate makes ideal growing conditions.
The second variety we cultivate is Koroneiki. Its a much more recent variety, having been introduced over the last century but having shown a surprising resilience growing alongside the tsounati variety.
These trees have survived wars and wildfires as the villagers have protected them more than their own homes and have become part of their lives, as they were a main source of sustenance for them and their families in a barren otherwise landscape.
This drove them to create a diet rich in olive oil and adapt a healthy mediterannean lifestyle .
Both varieties produce an olive oil high in polyphenols and a rich, spicy aroma.
Harvesting – Pressing – Preservation methods
Challenging, Painstaking, Traditional, Innovating.
These are the four words that describe best the full procedure of creating the best quality olive oil.
The rough and rocky terrain prohibits the use of heavy machinery, so harvesting is done by hand with the aid of electric harvesters that due to the tree height have to be carried on to the tree whilst climbing higher and higher.
Harvesting is carried out while the olives are still a light green colour, before they start to darken. This starts usually in mid- October and lasts about four weeks or until all the fruit is harvested.
Milling and pressing of the olives is done at the day of harvesting at a specific temperature – under 27c- (cold pressed olive oil). And last for a maximum of fourty minutes for each load. This way we ensure that our Gourmet, extra virgin olive oil, will keep all its aromas and valuable phenols, usually loosing in quantity of olive oil but gaining exceptional quality with all the health benefits of an organic olive oil.
We then store our olive oil in stainless steel containers away from sunlight and under strictly controlled temperatures.
We also use nitrogen gas in our tanks, which is suitable for foodstuffs, this way ensuring that our olive oil will keep its first day freshness and quality for the longest possible time.
Finally, Bottling is done by a semi-automatic machine and each bottle closed then by hand ensuring that all our passion and love for exceptional olive oil reaches intact to your table.