LAKONIAN - Greece

500 mL Bottle - Lakonia, Greece

In the heart of Greece's Eurotas valley in south central Peloponnese sits Lakonia, made famous by its Spartan warrior past. Today this region is known for its exceptional beauty and the rich soil that makes it home to some of the world's premier olive groves including the koroneiki and athinoelia trees used to produce this brilliant green oil.

The Koroneiki olive represents close to 60% of the total Greek olive growing area and without a doubt is the most important in the production of olive oil. Koroneiki olives are of a very small size and produce very fruity olive oil. One sip of Eleona's Lakonian olive oil will make you a believer in Greek olive oil. A nose of green olive and hints of green grass are as enticing as the brilliant green color of this medium weight oil. It opens smoothly with plenty of green and ripe fruit before revealing hints of nuttyness and green apple and then moving to a sharp finish with a modest amount of pepper. It is a great oil for finishing vegetables, pasta and substantial salads.

80% of the Greek olive oil is extra virgin, which is the top-ranked classification category in the world. This makes Greece the world's largest producer of extra virgin olive oil. Greek extra virgin olive oil's superior quality is appreciated by the international trade, which is the reason why 150-200 thousand tons of their olive oil is exported to Italy and Spain every year and sold at a premium price, in comparison to olive oils of other origins.

Most of the best oil usually never makes it out of Greece, since it is produced by individuals and families from a few trees or a few acres of trees that have been prized family possessions for generations. The oil is usually consumed by family and friends - indeed the average Greek consume consumes about 15 liters of oil a year, as compared to the aveage American wh coonsumes about 1 liter.

For years, Kostas Papadogianni worked with Greece's top olive growers to build and supply the presses that make some of the world's finest olive oils. After a successful career, but not yet ready to retire, Kostas turned his attention to an idea - to bring Greece's finest olive oils to the rest of the world. With the help of his family, he decided to turn this idea into a reality. Drawing upon his close relationships with some of the country's most respected olive producers, Kostas has brought his concept to life in ELEONA, olives and olive oil of consistently superior quality.