Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Quality Standards: Premium Extra Virgin              

 

Our Koroneiki variety contains a high level of polyphenols and natural antioxidants, which resist agin, and helps to keep the oil from going rancid. It is best to buy what you would consume within three to six months of opening, when it is at its peak flavour. The oil won’t turn rancid after this time, but it’s scent and fresh flavour will slowly fade, due to oxidation. Unfiltered extra virgin olive oil will retain its quality and flavour two years after harvest, if stored properly. Do not shake your bottle before pouring, and make sure it is always tightly sealed. 

 

 

 

Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil, simply “the best.” superior taste, colour, and aroma. Premium Extra Virgin designates oil that has an acidity level of under 0.5%. Our olive oil is tested at harvest and has been consistently between 0,3% and 0,5% acidity. It is retested periodically to ensure that premium standards are maintained.

 

The acidity level also is a good indicator of the care and attention to detail of the harvest and extraction process. Acidity in the olive starts to rise as soon as it is picked. This explains why the olives must not be allowed to sit, but brought to the mill without delay. Low acidity extends the shelf life, and maintains a higher level of quality. The oil’s peroxide level is another quality test used to check the levels of oxygen in the oil.

 

When olive oil comes in contact with air, it starts to oxidise and deteriorate. Premium Extra virgin olive oil must have a peroxide level of less than 20. We meet this standard.

 

In order to be labelled “extra virgin” in Europe, olive oil must meet IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) standards. In addition to chemical testing, oil must meet the approval of a taster’s panel and judged to have “perfect aroma and taste.” If it does not meet the criteria, it cannot be sold as extra virgin.

 

Our local mill in Chora, Messinia, adheres to the IOOC standards. Trained technicians taste the olive oil and perform standardised chemical tests following each production. They determine whether our olive oil is extra virgin and considered perfect in flavour, aroma, and without defects. This is documented with a certified report.

 

 

 

Another factor that contributes to our outstanding quality is that it is completely unfiltered; it is truly olive oil in its natural state. This unfiltered, natural oil is what the Greeks have used in their everyday lives since ancient times. Olive oil connoisseurs and chefs believe unfiltered olive oil is superior to others due to its rich flavour and higher level of nutrients found in the olive fruit. Filtration diminishes some of the oil’s taste and health benefits. If sediment (harmless olive pulp) is found in the bottle, avoid shaking bottle before pouring.

 

 

Exceptional Aroma

 

This olive oil is robust and spicy. The aroma is mostly described as grass, artichoke and green tea with a hint of herbs, accompanied by some ripe fruit described as floral with a hint of buttery.

 

 

 

In the early 60s, be the World Health Organisation started up a study of eating habits of people from different countries. It took 30 years and involved about 13,000 people aged 40-59 years. The results show that people living in Mediterranean countries, mainly in Greece, show the lowest mortality rates from cancer and coronary heart disease, and had an impressive higher average life than residents of other countries. Scientists trying to discover the secret, led to the conclusion that the particular and natural way of life (work in rural areas, increased physical activity), but the simple and frugal diet with specific olive oils, which became known as the Mediterranean diet was the cause of the phenomenon.

 

A major survey of the Medical School of Athens and the University School of Public Health at Harvard, confirms that the Mediterranean diet prolongs life and protects against heart disease and cancer.