Bringing Olive Oil Tourism to Greece’s Most Popular Island
Anita Zachou is determined to turn Mykonos into a leading olive oil tourism destination, even though the island produces no EVOO of its own.
Photo: Anita Zachou
About 150 kilometers east of Athens, in the middle of the Aegean Sea, Mykonos is perhaps the most famous of all Greek islands.
While it is best known for its beaches, shopping and nightlife, there has been a recent revitalization of the island’s olive oil culture.
Through design and with knowledge of how to guide it, yes, you can do olive oil tourism anywhere.
The award-winning producers Mil & Un Verd are on a mission: preserve the historical structures and millennial olive trees of their estate while sustainably.
History and Innovation Guide an Award-Winning Producer in Umbria
Through a fusion of historical influences and sustainable practices, Castello Monte Vibiano has achieved outstanding quality goals while preserving the local environment.
Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio
An ancient castle dating back to the 1
st century BC seamlessly coexists with a state-of-the-art olive oil mill among the green hills and valleys.
The beauty of being a high-quality extra virgin olive oil producer is that you are always looking for something new that allows you to improve.- Lorenzo Fasola Bologna, co-owner, Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio
Producers in Greece Adapt to Challenging Harvest
Greek producers have shown resourcefulness in dealing with the exceptional challenges of the 2020 harvest, supported by their knowledge of the industry and their clients.
Stavros Kallas
Even as they confront the long-running repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, adverse weather conditions and low olive oil prices, Greek producers are determined to have a successful harvest.
On the island of Kefalonia, on the western edge of the Hellenic Arc in the Ionian Sea, the harvest was demanding but rewarding for the local producers at Liocharis.
Production Rebounds in France Amid Climatic Challenges
Frost, hail and torrential rains dampened the 2020 olive harvest in France. It will still be better than last year and producers report that quality is as good as ever.
Photo: Louisa Sherman
After a catastrophic end to the 2019/20 crop year, in which the expected harvest fell from 5,900 tons to just over 3,250 tons, olive oil production in France looks set to rebound.
According to the latest figures from the International Olive Council (IOC), France will produce 5,200 tons in the current crop year. While this yield is slightly above the rolling five-year average, it shows French production trending downwards.