Athens local George Kormaniotis was introduced to wines in 2007 while working for a company that traded alcohol. At the time, George came across a wide variety of good Greek wines that made him curious to learn more.
Greek wine enthusiast George Kormaniotis
Since then he has spent time market researching, blind tasting, trying new labels, and exchanging ideas and opinions with other fellow wine enthusiasts.
Although George currently works in the pharmaceutical industry, in his spare time he’s made it his mission to change people’s perceptions of Greek wines- both locally and overseas.
It may come as a surprise to some, but Greek wine has made a name for itself on a global scale over the past few decades. As the country has embraced its rich, seasonal varieties that are available internationally.
Let’s not forget, Greece is one of the world’s most ancient viticultural locations, with references to drinking and cultivation appearing in literature and historical texts as early as the 17th Century B.C.
Here, George tells us about a few of his favourite Greek wineries and blends. And in a new monthly column, George will be sharing a range of distinguished, as well as up-and-coming Greek varieties, regions, wineries and wine bars he believes are leading the way.
Can you tell us a few of the stand out wineries you have visited in Greece?
To start off with, I would recommend the Argyros, Gavalas and Vassaltis wineries in Santorini. Also Kir Yianni, Diamantakos, and Dalamaras in Naoussa, Macedonia. Finally, Oinotria Gi by Costas Lazarides, Pappagianakos and Gikas wineries stand out in the outskirts of Athens, Attica.
Argyros Winery in Santorini
Do you prefer red or white wine?
I mostly enjoy red wine. That’s because the taste and flavours better accompany Greek cuisine.
What is your wine collection like at home?
I keep a collection of 200 to 250 labels with a ratio of 75/25 per cent between Greek and foreign labels respectively.
What do you think people would find most surprising about Greek wine?
Cava Amethystos
Assyrtiko variety of white wines from Santorini features one of the rarest flavours one can ever taste. The volcanic land of Santorini gives its wines a rare aftertaste of sea saltiness and earthly “minerality”.
Moreover, Xinomavro variety from Western Macedonia competes with the famous Italian “Barolo” wines in terms of ageing potential, which can go up to 20 years of age.
Do you have a few current favourites?
First, the “Santorini Argyros” label from Santorini is a typical representative of the island’s famous “Assyrtiko” variety.
Second, “Cava Amethystos” by Domaine Costa Lazaridi is a 100% cabernet franc from the Drama territory in eastern Macedonia- whose production I have followed for several years now and it soars at considerably high standards.
Kir Yianni “Diaporos” label, a blend of 85% xinomavro and 15% syrah varieties is a wine that is ranked among the best premium Greek labels from its first year of sales.
Finally, “Vinsanto Argyros” aged 12 years from Santorini, is a sweet wine that distinguishes itself each year in every international competition it participates in always gaining recognition as one of the top three.
Oinoscent Wine Bar
Can you recommend some good wine bars in Athens?
I enjoy hanging out at the following wine bars in the Greek capital-
1. Oinoscent, located five minutes from Syntagma Square.
2. Materia Prima, in Pagrati.
3. Wine Point, near the Acropolis Museum.
You can follow George on his Instagram account @george.winestories and stay tuned, as George will be sharing his passion, knowledge and exploration of Greek wines with IN+SIGHTS GREECE readers right here, in a new monthly column dedicated to all things wine!
As summer comes to an end, Greece’s countryside comes to life, with olive groves and vineyards appearing in full flourish.
And for those wishing to experience the beautiful Autumn season first-hand through a unique culinary journey, Amanzoe, Greece’s most luxurious resort, has introduced a new pop-up restaurant series with acclaimed guest chefs serving exclusive menus based on the heritage of Greek cuisine created with fresh produce from Argolida and the Peloponnese.
Hosting acclaimed guest chefs, who have shaped Greek gastronomy; Amanzoe’s next event will take place on Saturday, October 16th, 2021, with leading chef Dimitrios Dimitriadis taking over in the kitchen and presenting his guests with a progressive, creative and unique menu based on the heritage of Greek cuisine.
Dimitrios and his team will mix traditional and modern techniques, discussing the conception of each dish with their guests for an interactive experience.
One of the most renowned chefs in Greece, Dimitrios was born and raised in Larissa, where his career choice and passion for food were heavily influenced by his grandparents who were farmers. After finishing school, he began training at the Hotel Management & Culinary School of Rhodes and has since worked as Head Chef in numerous Michelin-starred restaurants across the globe.
Renowned chef Dimitrios Dimitriadis
Dimitris now works as Head Chef at Artisanal in Athens, a modern garden restaurant characterised by its distinct Mediterranean style with clear references to modern Greek cuisine. Bringing his expertise to Amanzoe, the evening’s menu will showcase techniques from across the continent with a stylish and contemporary feel.
Guests can choose to accompany each dish with Greek wine while enjoying the elegant atmosphere of the library setting.
About Amanzoe
Set in a land of classical ruins, azure seas and olive groves on the coast of the Peloponnese, Amanzoe, one of Greece’s most luxurious resorts embraces the architecture and soul of ancient Greece and is ideally placed for exploring the region’s rich culture, cuisine, and natural attractions. The aromatic scent of lavender and rosemary unfolds with the heat of the day and spectacular views stretch across a vast expanse of Aegean.
Andros’ boutique guest house, Mèlisses has teamed up with local producers to create a series of gastronomic experiences that will showcase the alluring Cycladic isle in a unique and beautiful way; as guests will be treated to the freshest ingredients the island has to offer- in the most stunning of settings.
With the aim of bringing guests from different backgrounds together over a shared meal (to experience the true essence of Andros) dinners will take place at a range of remarkable spots around the charming and diverse island. This will include gatherings at a neoclassical home of a shipowner, a picturesque seaside dinner on a sandy beach, and a gathering at a secluded olive grove.
Images by @eventions_wedding
What’s even more special is that the location of each dinner will not be disclosed until one day before the event- so guests will be treated to surprise after surprise!
The dinners will be in collaboration with leading local and international chefs, who will highlight local ingredients and support its producers. In addition, 50% of proceeds will be donated to charitable organisations including Philanthropic Association of Apoikia and Andrion Club.
“We believe in supporting the island of Andros, as well as its local producers and communities,” says the Mèlisses team.
When asked what guests can expect, Allegra Pomilio, the outstanding host at Mèlisses, who warmly welcomes her guests and invites them to feel at home, told IN+SIGHTS GREECE, “We haven’t finalised the menu yet, but one thing I can reveal about the first event is that honey will be one of the key elements of our dishes.”
And without giving too much away, Allegra revealed that she and her talented team have been working on a few new dishes including a “Tart with Honey, Cardamom Pastry Cream and Fresh Fruits”; and a “Homemade Ravioli, filled with Honey Roasted Squash- served with Pistachio and Beurre Noisette Sauce”.
“The Hive” Dinner Saturday, 18th of September, 2021
The first pop-up event from the series will be a communal epicurean experience featuring a five-course dinner curated by the talented Mèlisses’ team. The meal will feature seasonal ingredients native to Andros, paired thoughtfully with Greek wines and spirits.
“Our first supper will be at the house of Mèlisses, our hive, where guests and friends alike gather.”
Mèlisses
This beautiful B&B is a place where you can fully experience the character and charm of Andros island. Overlooking the Aegean Sea, Mèlisses is like a home away from home, as Allegra and her family beautifully transformed her family’s Greek residence into an enchanting place for visitors to stay.
The property features two double bedrooms with direct access to the large infinity pool, two suites, and a cottage with a private pool. All rooms overlook the Aegean Sea, while breakfast is served at the open kitchen in the main house, in front of the infinity saltwater pool- making it a memorable experience for guests.
For more details on The Hive Pop Up Dinners head to melissesandros
Venture outside the tourist box to see how Athens’ ever-changing present syncs with its age-old past! The book ‘111 Places in Athens You Shouldn’t Miss’ was written to offer you exactly that. This is just one of 10 unmissable places that even locals often miss, offered exclusively for IN+SIGHTS GREECE readers by the guide’s publishers EMONS.
This year, 2021, marks a century since this warehouse-like shop (Ariana’s Olives) has sold almost nothing but olives. Open to the street, with no doors to put you off, it invites you to inspect the contents of 23 large free-standing barrels as well as smaller containers poised on shelves along the side walls. And taste them.
Perhaps you thought there were only two kinds of olives, green and black, pitted or stuffed with pimento, garlic or almond? This collection features the fruit of some 20 varieties, with emphasis on the big oval greeny ones from Amphissa, the famous olive grove below Delphi. The Kalothanasis brothers, Andreas and Mihalis, represent the third generation in this business started by their grandfather, Andreas, who came from the area, and where the olives are still processed. As Mihalis, who runs the shop, says, ‘Amphissa olives grown anywhere else don’t taste the same. The land, soil, climate make a difference. We deal with olives from all over Greece – tear-shaped Kalamata, tiny Cretan, wrinkly (salt-cured) throumbes from Thasos – and my brother knows the secrets of curing, preserving and storing them until the next season. Ideally, we’d like to run out the day the new olives arrive, and sometimes that has happened.’
The most popular and priciest are big green olives from Mount Athos, followed by blond throumbes from Chios. And some firm Amphissa ones are rated by size: jumbo, colossal and mammoth.
The name Ariana comes from two ancient Greek words, ari and a(g)no. It means ‘very pure’, like the olive tree, Athena’s gift, which earned her the patronage of the city over Poseidon’s salt spring in the mythical contest on the Acropolis.
Getting there: Metro to Monastiraki (M 1 & M 3) or Omonia (M 1 & M 2), and a 10-minute walk
Hours: Mon – Sat 7.30am – 3.30pm
Tip: In the heart of Athens’ food and market district, there are many other shops selling just one thing, from ropes to shoelaces, eggs, flour and phyllo.
111 Places in Athens That You Shouldn’t Miss can be found at all major bookstores worldwide as well as online at Amazon
If you want to learn more about the Mykonian food culture and embark on a journey of exquisite tastes, Lifestyle Cooking created by talented chef Teo Iliopoulos is a fascinating concept that introduces guests to authentic and traditional flavours from this famous Cycladic island.
Born in 1978, on a farm in the southern region of Greece, Teo, the son of a market gardener, was raised to respect working with the soil and its natural produce.
From a very early age, Teo developed his fine tastes and quickly learned to appreciate fresh, organic, ingredients, and was taught how to preserve and of course, cook with them. It came as no surprise that his ambition was to become a chef and credits his early childhood and major influence from his father, for his major culinary success.
Arriving in Mykonos as an ambitious 17-year-old, Teo has now become highly sought-after personal chef by celebrities, socialites and international visitors who are seeking a unique gastronomical experience that will remain with them for years to come.
Known not only for his unique bohemian style, Teo has created innovative cooking concepts reflecting Mediterranean influences and says some of his favourite ingredients to work with are “thyme, tomatoes, figs, prickly pears, and obviously everything the sea has to offer.”
Teo is the Head Chef and founder of his company Lifestyle Cooking, leading his team of dedicated food specialists, who also enjoy catering to every aspect of their guest’s culinary journey in Mykonos. Personalized menus, seafood/oyster events, BBQ parties, private cooking lessons, or even live cooking demonstrations on a private beach; there is no gastronomic experience Teo and his staff won’t do.
One of the most popular services that Teo provides is an unforgettable, live and authentic Greek cooking experience at Rhenia, an inhabitant island next to Delos, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Rhenia is famous for its crystal clear waters, ancient temple ruins and high energy levels. It is a unique natural paradise, worth seeing while you visit Mykonos. Teo and his team of professional chefs take guests by boat from Mykonos to the famous Rhenia island and allow you to explore the beach, swim, sunbathe and enjoy the delicious live-cooked recipes. You will be able to savour the fresh sea urchin, shrimps, sea bass, fresh fish on the grill, or lobster.
It is an unforgettable and unique experience that can be enjoyed by groups of friends, or enjoyed by the entire family. Otherwise, you can also hire Teo and his team as your personal chef during your stay in Mykonos, where they will prepare you breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner at your villa, or if you are staying at a hotel without a kitchen, they also offer delivery straight to your room.
Using ingredients picked from a private farm, Teo’s customised healthy breakfast includes fresh juices, yoghurt with homemade (strawberry, orange, blueberry, peach) jam, or honey with cinnamon and granola.
They also create homemade pasta ( tagliatelle, ravioli, macaroni) and you can watch Teo and his team prepare the pasta and cook it right in front of you.
High on the list of guests’ favourites are the seafood recipes reflecting the Mediterranean Sea, including all fish, oysters, shrimps and lobsters, which are caught in the morning by local fishermen. And Teo also has a range of Kocher vegan, traditional Greek recipes and of course, is more than happy to create a personal menu to suit all tastes and preferences.
It took around nine months of experimenting with over 50 herbs and spices until an alchemical trio of Greek women came up with their award-winning gin, hand-crafted recipe.
With a family background in distillation, sisters Hara and Katerina Katsou formed the ideal team with Lila Dimopolou in 2016, who had a broad experience from working with her Scottish husband in the global drinks industry.
In its four years of existence, GRACE gin has already made a strong impact among international aficionados of the juniper-based drink. The bottle in itself is both stylish and playful, immediately revealing that this is a drink with a bold and sophisticated personality. Featuring three women in 18th Century-style clothes, one of whom is holding a Greek flag (with an owl on her shoulder), it stands out in appearance as much as in its flavour.
Although gin is not an alcoholic beverage one would normally associate with Greece – or
anything Greek for that matter, this particular gin, created by Avantes distillery in Evia, has a very strong Greek character.
The gin contains ingredients that are characteristically native, such as sea samphire (kritamo), the wild herb that grows on the craggy edges of sea-spritzed rocks, orange blossom from Evia and Schinos. The base spirit is a blend of botanicals such as juniper berries, angelica root, lemon and orange peels, cardamom, orris, coriander, cinnamon, and cassia bark.
But why gin of all things? Why not distill something more traditional like say, tsipouro? The graceful gin-makers answer that for them this very concoction, apart from the immense gin-savviness and encouragement it was infused with by Lila’s Scottish husband John, presented them with an exhilarating way of reflecting the varied aromas and flavour profiles of Greece’s multifaceted flora.
Indeed, GRACE gin has been described and awarded for its taste factor by several international experts and sells very well to the US, Switzerland, England, Cyprus and Germany.
GRACE Gin offers its fans some of its favourite recipes, ideal for a night in:
The second largest white truffle in Europe was found in Greece? It’s usually a different kind of headline that boldly confronts readers, informing them about something or other being unearthed under the diverse and ancient Greek landscape.
By Adrian Vrettos
Yes, truffling in this country is now on the map and gaining momentum, happily being embraced in modern Greek cuisine as well as jazzing up old staples.
The latest estimates are that between 2,000-3,000 Greeks are involved in the hunting and production of these edible treasures and that Greek truffles are now being exported far and wide, with some varieties regularly topping 3,000€ per kilo.
Quite a tidy sum but bear in mind that truffle hunting is no walk in the park. It involves hours of muddling through the undergrowth of low-lying mountainous regions. Also, it requires a sound local knowledge of the areas likely to yield up their white or black prizes.
Where can this be done? Well, anywhere with wild oak or chestnut forests at the foothills of mountains, so just about all over Greece, from Crete to Meteora, Olympos to Komotini.
This is convenient although adding to the challenge, the conditions of forests conspire against human seekers so that often wild boars (amongst others) get to the prize first. So good are they at finding these aromatic gems that we train their hairless pink cousins to help us with the dirty work; pigs have a remarkable sense of smell and can root out a truffle up to three feet underground. But more commonly, man’s best friend is trained as the primary scout. A decent (but by no means exceptional) dog can set you back €1,000, but compared to a pig it can be more fun, easier to house and with less food consumption, as far as I know.
There is another way to get truffles and that is through cultivation. Excellent! Problem solved. But not so fast; the best tree to cultivate for this purpose is the mighty oak, which takes 12 years to mature and, which is when the farmer can gather her first harvest. A long time indeed, and also a hit and miss process, as some inoculated saplings may never produce a single truffle. Not that I could tell the difference of course, but I would prefer to eat the hunted version, as there is something adventurous and excavatory about it that definitely adds flavor to my intellectual taste buds.
Having said all this, it would be remiss of me to not reference an ancient yarn from the heyday glory times of my ancestors: The ancient Athenians loved truffles to the extent that they gave citizenship (no small acquisition) to the sons of Xerippo for coming up with a new recipe for them! Unfortunately, the recipe in question has been lost to the ages, which is rather frustrating considering it was great enough to have such an honour bestowed on the willing chefs.
These aforementioned ancients called it Hydnon, and indeed “hydnology” is the science relating to truffles. In Latin it’s called “Tuber” which is the official term, where as a number of Mediterranean cultures (including Arabs, French and Spanish) conspired to give us the word ‘truffle’ the handle commonly used today. Furthermore, in Plutarch’s accounts, truffles were created by the combined action of water, heat and lightning leading me to conclude that it was considered as a gift from Zeus himself. Wherever the actual truth of this incredibly pungent food lies, it certaibnly has fascinated humankind and animals alike throughout the ages and will surely continue to bedazzle our tastebuds for as long as it exists.
Here are some exemplary Greek truffle product you can find online now:
Dryas Truffles – everything from truffles, truffle salt and truffle olive oil.
The alluring attraction and wanderlust for discovering the world prompted me in 1971 to leave my native Corfu behind. Fourty nine years later, with a life’s journey across four countries outside Greece in two different continents, I have returned to my island of birth.
It was for a very special kind of research – and impressive discoveries – that involved both my work in wine and my hundreds of years’ old family history.
Wine was part of my upbringing as early as from the age of nine, when my mother handed me a tumbler with a small amount of wine and topped up with water as I was the eldest. Little did I know then that wine would become a major part of my adult life. When I set off on my travels as a young man, exploring and recording the fragmented Greek vineyard in the 1990’s, I knew nothing of Corfu’s wine. Of the 60 wineries featured in my Greek Wine Books I had included only one Corfu winery, that of Livadiotis from Halikouna. Over 25 years and 730,000 km later I became increasingly curious to discover what the status of wine on my island really was, as there is a wide difference in public perception and reality regarding this matter.
Meanwhile, Corfu magnetised me later in life for a different reason as well. What I was stunned to learn only a decade ago, after deciding to deep dive into my ancestral roots, was that my paternal family history connected to Corfu dates back to 1503. This was a time when Venice gave my stradioto ancestors passage and privileges from Nafplio to Corfu. Fascinatingly, the Archives on Corfu are incredibly well organised, something that is unique to the modern Greek state. A long-standing research had taken me to a point where a documentary was now within reach. The digitalised archives of my Notaro Publico ancestors 1686 -1830 make for riveting reading of the island’s social history. The documentary is not about my family per se but about the merchant classes and their often-scandalous lives. Their dealings, affairs and more.
This research simultaneously brought me to finally see first-hand what changes, if any, had occurred over time in the local wine scene. Timing could not have been better as there have been completely unknown developments. Two of my contacts on the island introduced me to exciting new ventures. Nikos Kotinas in Lefkimi led me to the most recent of vineyards and winery of Borovino; and chef Aristoteles Megoulas, to the local produce he has been supporting, Pontiglio in Lefkimi and Nicolouzo in Ano Korakiana. These three vineyards and the second generation of Livadiotis of Halikouna to be reviewed on my website Greek Wine World.
As I write these lines Gerald Durrell’s tongue in cheek comment on Lawrence runs through my head: ‘My brother is conducting an exhaustive study of the islands wine’. I have been doing the same but probably in a different way. This visit was my great chance to get fully up to speed with the impossibly verdant island’s wine bounty. For example, I discovered that new, 15-year-old vineyards are heralding a revival. Another great revelation regarded the true face of Cacotrigis, Corfu’s signature grape. Forget the farmer-produced, orange-coloured stinky brews; the new generation is semi-aromatic and textured. And yet another revelation: the new-to-me mysterious red grape called Skopelitis. It doesn’t, as you may presume, hails from the eponymous Sporades island, its vinous tasting profile bears no resemblance to anything else anywhere in Greece nor nearby Sicily or Southern Italy.
Perhaps the best part is yet to come. As I discuss my findings with my academic and technician friends new task lists are being created. There is so much more to come from custodians holding completely unknown to any of us grapes. That is another story to be told when DNA results have been completed. As for my ancestral DNA and all the stories to go with that, the roots run so deep and the fruits are so rich that all I can say is watch this space for a fascinating documentary.
OLEOSOPHIA is the result of a love story between a young Greek couple who turned the Ancient Greek tradition of olive harvesting into a modern family business that is being widely recognised and praised as one of the best and healthiest in the world.
Launched in 2018 in the village of Kalentzi, by Marianna Devetzoglou and Aris Magginas, this Corinthian extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants and was recently awarded for its wellbeing content by the World Olive Centre for Health.
Ensuring consistency in quality, flavour, and aroma, OLEOSOPHIA is a limited edition product as the quantities depend on each year’s yield.
The brand’s vision is to promote the philosophy of extra virgin olive oil while sharing the values and ethos of their land. With a mission to inspire people to add this unique and healthy liquid gold into their everyday life- the small and talented team consists of young individuals of different backgrounds who love their country and its produce.
We recently had a chat with co-founder and Olive Oil Sommelier Marianna Devetzoglou about her family business, which is growing rapidly by the day.
Tell us about your olive oil brand. How did it all begin?
It all started when my husband George and I met – two people from different backgrounds who fell in love. We used to attend events and walk together through the olive trees, discussing ideas and future plans. OLEOSOPHIA started shortly after our love story blossomed with the aim of communicating our ethos, our values, and our vision to the world. OLEOSOPHIA represents the wisdom of olive oil, the unification of two families, and their traditions. We are happy to share this love for extra virgin olive oil with people, exchange ideas, and form solid partnerships around the world.
Tell us more about your upbringing and how that helped you launch OLEOSOPHIA?
George and I grew up in very different families. George comes from an agricultural family in the village of Kalentzi, Peloponnese, whose activities involved cultivating olive trees, table grapes, and apricots. He then studied IT at the Polytechnic University and got an MBA degree, before setting out on his IT career while helping his family. I, on the other hand, was born and raised in Athens, away from nature and in an urban family. I studied Physics and Materials Science in Athens and London before coming back to Greece. When we met, we enjoyed long hours of talking about new ventures, while our romance grew. Despite the different backgrounds, we shared the same passion – sharing our dreams and values with people, contributing to life changing experiences. There, under the olive trees, OLEOSOPHIA was born as a manifestation of our common passion: to create a point of reference where people can learn, enjoy, participate and get to know the local culture, the local olive variety, build a health-oriented mentality, experience artisan products and create long-lasting friendships.
What is the history behind your olive grove in Corinth?
My in-laws family live in the village of Kalentzi, which is located at the base of Mt. Fokas (in the Corinthian area), the mountain where the Lion of Nemea was born, according to legend. For three generations, the family has been cultivating olive trees, table grapes, and apricots.
Blessed with a strategically mild microclimate and fertile land, the area offers a variety of products with excellent quality and authentic taste. OLEOSOPHIA is our family’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, produced by handpicked olives from our family grove, ensuring consistency in quality, flavour, and aroma. This tradition and experience has been passed on from generation to generation and is an integral part of our identity. Now, the new generation, young brothers and sisters have spread their wings, built their education in different sectors – chemistry, physics, and engineering, and have returned to their roots to build a new era for the family – with ethos, persistence, honesty, and integrity. Our olive grove is our sacred family heirloom, where we work hard to produce our awarded monovarietal extra virgin olive oil of the Manaki variety. It is also open to visitors to learn, explore, share and experience the magic of olive oil through olive grove tours and olive oil tasting events under the trees.
Tell us about your varieties?
In our olive grove of approximately 4,000 olive trees, we cultivate and produce monovarietal, first harvest Manaki Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is health claim certified and represents our local variety, with a well-balanced, smooth sensory profile whilst we also produce Manaki/Megariti extra virgin olive oil variety combined with a playful twist. As olive oil production has been running in the family for more than three generations, we have improved and optimised our agricultural practices in order to achieve higher quality and showcase the beautiful variety of Manaki. We bottle in luxury bottles of 500mL and 250mL which are ideal for everyday use as well as for corporate or personal gifts.
What do you think makes your business so successful?
We are a team of young people with different backgrounds and this is what makes us so strong. The team consists of Aris, Marianna, and Myrto. Aris is responsible for the cultivation. He is very knowledgeable, takes great care of the trees, and makes sure to keep them healthy and happy in order for them to give us their best fruit every year. I am the Olive Oil Sommelier, responsible for networking, PR, exports/sales, and of course, our olive oil tours and olive oil tasting events. I’m very active through education seminars to both consumers and professionals, while being the contact point between the family and our partners. Myrto is our Quality Advisor – coming from a chemistry background, she is the go-to person for all the necessary, quality-related processes, organisation advice, and science. The three of us complement each other, each building on each other’s strengths and weaknesses, creating a productive, well-balanced result.
What makes Greek olive oil so healthy?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the highest grade of olive oil – is the healthiest one can possibly consume, rich in healthy fats and antioxidants that have demonstrated to contribute against a number of changes our body undergoes. Moreover, it is a natural juice that comes directly from the pressing of the olive fruit. Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in particular, is healthy and rich in different sensory profiles because of the many different olive varieties found in Greece. As a result, the consumer can enjoy all the health benefits and experience authentic flavours that depict the local microclimate and flora of each region.
What makes your olive oil so unique?
A number of reasons make OLEOSOPHIA special. The Manaki variety that we cultivate in our family olive grove is a sensitive variety that is mainly used for the production of high quality, high-end extra virgin olive oil. The variety is found only in two areas in Greece and is not cultivated in other countries, making the experience of OLEOSOPHIA an authentic one, one you may explore when travelling in our region. Moreover, OLEOSOPHIA monovarietal extra virgin olive oil holds a Health Claim certificate for its phenolic content – this means that consumers may use OLEOSOPHIA as a health supplement, not just as a tasty ingredient in their everyday cooking. Both, our monovarietal and our varietal combinations have been awarded a GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2020, one of the most prestigious food competitions globally. Finally, OLEOSOPHIA is not just a product – partners and consumers can enjoy this unique variety, participate in our online workshops and also, visit our olive grove to experience olive oil tours, olive oil tasting, and food pairing guided by our Olive Oil Sommelier. Our vision is to create a community of Oleosophers and let people enjoy it, learn about our ethos and olive oil culture, and become part of our family.
Tell us about your awards and accolades?
Our family is constantly working hard to ensure high-quality extra virgin olive oil in order to enjoy the health benefits and unique flavour of our Manaki variety. Our hard work has been rewarded with an OLYMPIA AWARD 2020 for OLEOSOPHIA’s Monovarietal Manaki Health Claim and phenolic content while we have also won our GREAT TASTE AWARD 2020 for both our monovarietal and our variety combination with very positive comments by the judges.
Where is your oil stocked and do you ship internationally?
In our village, Kalentzi, and near our olive grove, we stock our olive oil in stainless steel containers, in dark, cool places as per the appropriate specifications of olive oil maintenance. Internationally, we have been working with a number of high-end, fine food shops globally that address a demanding audience that seeks healthy, authentic, and original products. Our partners are located in the EU (France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Sweden), USA, and Australia while we keep growing our network through product collaborations, article contributions, olive oil tasting events, and training workshops.
Are you working on any new projects and what is your long-term vision?
Every year we work hard to improve our products and our methods, simultaneously improving ourselves with respect to our land and its value. We continue working on our product range that will eventually include not only extra virgin olive oil but also olive oil-based cosmetics, herbs, and table olives. Our vision is to communicate our philosophy of life and of extra virgin olive oil while sharing the values and ethos of our land and family. We aim to become a reference point for excellent quality manaki extra virgin olive oil, olive oil tastings and tours, education workshops and to make our local variety known across our network of partners and community of Oleosophers.
You also offer olive oil tours.
Yes. Seeking to communicate our family values and mentality, we host olive oil tours and tasting sessions in our olive grove as part of the OLEOSOPHIA experience. Visitors have the opportunity to walk through the olive grove, learn about the olive trees and the manaki variety specifically, and explore the authentic flavour by experiencing olive oil tasting sessions under the olive trees. We book small groups to ensure a better experience and guide them through the lifecycle of olive oil. We discuss with them the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, its role in the Mediterranean Diet, ways to make it part of their daily gastronomy, and why it is more of health investment, rather than simply a tasty ingredient. Moreover, visitors can learn which are the positive attributes of extra virgin olive oil, which are the defects, and how to identify them when seeking to purchase olive oil for their friends and family. This is a unique experience, one that enables people to explore new flavours and aromas, live a local, authentic experience and way of life, participate in the evaluation of olive oil and learn how to make well-informed decisions about their health. The tours run all year round, based on bookings, and with a special emphasis in the spring-summer season. We are always happy to welcome visitors, get to know them, educate them, share our values, and make long-lasting friendships with people from around the world and from different backgrounds.
Global gastronomy specialists Culinary Backstreets sees Greece’s great wine potential and sets up the first ever club for aficionados of great local produce.
In the post-war years, whiskey was the cool drink to sip in Greece; today it’s all about perfectly mixed cocktails, trendy locally brewed craft beer and wine. Greek wine. Amazing, world-recognized, multi-varied Greek wine from all over the country, rising up like a phoenix from the ashes of antiquity.
A great deal of it produced by vineyards that are hundreds of years old, a few using grape varieties that have remained since millennia ago, often by families who are devout to honouring their oenological history. Wine bars have sprung up around the capital and sommeliers nationwide are honing in on sophisticated knowledge about local wines to offer excellent suggestions for tastings and pairings. Numerous websites present everything there is to discover – and keep learning – about Greece’s exciting wine production and grapes, with travel stories, interviews – and great sales.
Creating a New Wine-Lover’s Rendezvous
Enter Culinary Backstreets, a well-established gastronomy website (with print publications to match) that showcases global cuisines through expert reviews of restaurants and food and drink produce across markets. This September, Culinary Backstreets launched its Athens Wine Club, organized by one of its regular contributors Carolina Doriti, and following successful examples of such clubs in other cities such as Lisbon and Tbilisi. The club is set to meet once or twice a month, each time showcasing a different independent winery and tasting venue.
As a wine aficionado I quickly booked myself a space at the gathering, which took place at Ta Karamlidika Tou Fani restaurant on Ermou St and presented the wines of Brintziki Estate. The winery produces 13 wines, of which we sampled four. This was accompanied by a platter of delicious bites by the restaurant, which is known for its Asia Minor roots and optimal variety of cheeses, cold cuts like pastrami, pastourmas and salami as well as main dishes. Each meeting will be based on this very concept – of combining the wines of an independent winemaker with foods from a local eatery in a Covid-safe environment. ‘’As always, Culinary Backstreets celebrates lesser known people in the foodways. Likewise, for the Wine Club, we are focusing on smaller, and/or independent winemakers. It was a pleasure to have a female winemaker at our first gathering,’’ Doriti says.
Tasting Brintziki Estate’s Best
Tinaktorogos, the first Brintziki Estate wine we sampled, is made from a grape that roots back to Homeric times and is only produced in Olympia by the Brintziki Estate vineyards. The wine is white, but when looked at carefully in the light, reveals a few flashes of green which is thought to resemble the colour of the sea. We also sampled the Avgoustiatis rose and the cherry red Avgoustatis reserve. Almost as fascinating as drinking a wine that existed in ancient Greece was trying Esperos, the estate’s ‘Orange Wine’ which is made from an ancient variety of the Assyrtiko grape and produced using completely natural winemaking methods, without any preservatives being added. A truly unique wine that Brintziki was inspired to make after visiting several raw food and wine festivals in the world.
Creating Connections Sip By Sip
The tasting experience was exciting enough. Add to that the tasty bites, great conversation with the winemaker and participants and the feeling of discovering new things about Greece, and there was a winning combination. ‘’ The goal is quite simple: these days, more than ever, it is important to keep the human connection strong to what we eat and drink,’’ Doriti says.
“The Athens Wine Club is all about building that human connection in a safe way. From meeting to meeting, that connection will strengthen between the guests who join and the winemakers we celebrate, and through those connections, knowledge will be shared. And of course, the goal is to drink a lot of good wine!’”
Combining Mediterranean herbs with a traditional process- dating back thousands of years- Ouzo is by far Greece’s most famous spirit. Exclusively produced in Greece, once you try it and consume it the right way, you will understand why it’s a major part of the Greek lifestyle!
Colour: Clear spirit, which becomes opaque when water is added.
Region: Ouzo is a PDO product and can only be produced in Greece. Although it is made in many regions, the most popular brands are based on the island of Lesvos. The latest figures show there are over 300 Ouzo producers in Greece and half of those are located in Lesvos.
Made from: Grapes and anise.
How it’s made: The difference between Ouzo and other aniseed-flavoured spirits is the way it is produced. To make Ouzo, the aromas are naturally created by distilling the seeds together with water and alcoholic solution.
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): Minimum 37.5 % ABV and normally at 40% ABV.
Fact: Over 65% of Ouzo production is exported.
Other flavours used: Apart from aniseed, other flavourings include mastic, cinnamon, fennel, star anise, cardamom, coriander, cloves and mint.
Most popular Ouzo brands: Ouzo 12, Metaxa, Plomari, MINI Mytilinis, Pilavas, Barbayannis.
Taste: Ouzo is a particularly strong drink and not for the faint-hearted. It’s also an acquired taste and has a lovely flavour when sipped slowly and accompanied by the right food.
Best pairings: It can be best enjoyed with salty, savoury, and spicy mezze (appetizers). You will find on the islands locals prefer to drink their Ouzo with seafood, such as anchovies, mackerel, sardines, fried calamari and grilled octopus, whereas on the mainland they will enjoy a glass of Ouzo with loukaniko (Greek sausages), homemade pickles and local cheese. The classic way is to serve it with bread, olives, cheese, tomatoes and cucumber.
How to serve Ouzo: It’s best served with water, rather than straight up. The perfect ratio is one part Ouzo and two parts water, which gives it the right texture and enhances its aromas.
Top tip: Don’t put ice cubes in your Ouzo, it alters the taste. The correct way to drink Ouzo is to mix it with very cold water.
Don’t forget: Ouzo is not a drink to be heavily consumed, it is meant to be sipped slowly and in moderation. With the right mezze, Ouzo can be an amazing experience that will help conjure up fond memories of the Aegean sun, sea, and Greek life!
another revelation: the new-to-me mysterious red grape called Skopelitis. It doesn’t, as you may presume, hails from the eponymous Sporades island, its vinous tasting profile bears no resemblance to anything else anywhere in Greece nor nearby Sicily or Southern Italy.
