TOU PATERA: (TOY ΠΑΤΕΡΑ) TRANSLATES FROM GREEK TO ENGLISH AS “OF THE FATHER” OR “FATHER’S”.
Located in southern Greece in the Lakonia region, our small farms are nestled among the foot hills of Mt. Taygetos just outside the historic city of Sparta. This region is well known for its olive oil and you can see why as you drive through the villages surrounded by olive groves in every direction. Our families have been in this region for many generations and have worked the land in many capacities but olive oil harvesting is an annual tradition followed by almost every local.
We produce small batch olive oil the way our fathers taught us while also taking the best innovations from current farming practices. Farming sustainably we minimize our impact on the environment to create the same high quality extra virgin olive oil Greek families have always enjoyed. We employ cover crops to maintain soil quality, drip irrigation to avoid over watering, mulching pruned materials vs. burning, integrated pest management and nutrient management to avoid over fertilization. When necessary DUE TO SMALLER YIELDS GIVEN ANY SEASON, we WILL source from SELECTED single estate locals who maintain the same farming PRACTICES and varietals, INSURING the flavor and quality standards we expect.
Our single estate blend reflects the three olive varietals we cultivate. Each have their own distinct characteristics but blended together they offer an amazing combination of both body and flavor.
1 ATHINOLIA
MODERATE FRUITINESS, RELATIVELY HIGH BITTERNESS AND PUNGENCY AMONG THE GREEK VARIETALS. GREEN-FRUIT FORWARD WITH A FIRM LEAFY/HERBAL CHARACTER.
ATHINOLIA WAS THE PREDOMINANT OLIVE FROM THE REGION OF OUR FARMS, THE ONE OUR GRAND PARENTS GREW, UNTIL KORONEIKI BECAME A MORE POPULAR OPTION. IT IS AN ANCIENT GREEK VARIETAL, MAINLY ROOTED IN WESTERN CRETE AND THE SOUTHERN PELOPONNESE.
THERE ARE ATHINOLIA TREES THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD THAT STILL BEAR FRUIT.
2 KORONEIKI
Fruity, with aromas of leaves and grass, notes of green apple and tomato-like nuances. Moderate pungency and light astringency.
Koroneiki is a local olive that outgrew its birthplace. Indigenous to Messinia, with its name derived from Koroni, the small seaside town in the region. From there it spread successfully to become the most widespread Greek oil varietal and makes up a very large share of Greece’s olive production due to it's ability to withstand heat and Greece's sometimes punishing summers.
3 KOUTSOURELIA
A green-fruity oil with grassy/herbal notes, sweet lift on the nose, and a less starkly austere profile than oils driven almost entirely by sharp green aldehydes.
Koutsourelia is a quieter, more regional olive — a varietal that generally is found where it is found and not widely cultivated but loved by those who know it.
