Mykonos Olive Oil Tasting

Mykonos Olive Oil Tasting was created by Anita Zachou in 2018. It is an educational and consulting company based in Mykonos island in Greece, delivering seminars, workshops, and webinars on Olive Oil Tasting, Olive Oil Gastronomy, the Mediterranean Diet, Holistic Health, Beauty and wellness to foreign visitors & locals but also consumers, kids, producers, wholesalers, and culinary professionals all over Greece and abroad.

​

Anita, a pioneer of Olive Oil Tourism in Greece, founded Mykonos Olive Oil Tasting on an island that is not famous for its olive oil production, it does not have an olive oil mill or even a reputation for its gastronomic tourism, proving that olive oil tourism can take place everywhere if you combine passion, love, knowledge, expertise and a well-designed olive oil tasting program. What she saw was that Mykonos lacks authentic experiences and that also has visitors that are interested in gastronomy and want to live experiences that “smell” Greece. The foreign visitor does not know if Mykonos produces olive oil, all he knows is that he is in Greece and since Greece is the third-producing country in the world he can find some good olive oil to taste.

​

We have associated olive oil tourism with a visit to an olive grove and/or an olive oil mill and then a tasting of the farm’s olive oil. This is great and it is one form of olive oil tourism, the other form is to teach visitors how olive oil is made (without a visit to a mill, after all in the summertime all mills are closed), introduce them to sensory analysis and quality characteristics, allowing them to taste different varietals of olive oil from all over the country (in a private farm, guests taste only the olive oil of this particular farm), teach them how to use olive oil in cooking & how to pair olive oil with food, especially with Mediterranean – local dishes and explain to them everything they need to know on how to preserve-store olive oil.

According to the guests’ comments and reviews, this experience is far more powerful, educating and life-changing than any visit to a grove or mill because they have the opportunity to explore Greece’s different varietals of olive oil and are being trained by an expert who will answer questions on all topics concerning olive oil (farm owners normally do not have this level of expertise).

​

Every year Anita tastes more than 60 different olive oil brands and varietals from around Greece to choose the best for her tasting workshops. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During her olive oil tasting workshops, guests can learn everything about Greek olive oil. The history, medicinal uses in ancient times, production procedure, they participate in a virtual tour around Greece by tasting awarded olive oil varietals from every corner of the country (Koroneiki, Tsounati, Makris, Megaritiki, Amfissis, Kolovi, Manaki, etc.) learn everything about them and experiencing their different aromas and flavors. Guests taste also defective olive oils to learn to identify an extra virgin olive oil from olive oil with serious defects. They learn everything about the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and the Mediterranean Diet and they indulge in an olive oil and food pairing activity aiming to understand how the “inappropriate” olive oil varietal or intensity can degrade a dish or simply exalt it.

​

After this workshop participants have learned to recognize different types & qualities of olive oil and this will change their daily life dramatically. Once you taste an amazing extra virgin olive oil you can’t go back! They will also be able to recognize the aromas of olive oil, evaluate it according to its fruity, bitter, and spicy and know which olive oil pairs better with fish and which exalts the flavor of the meat. This workshop also teaches how to make the right buying choices and how to store olive oil so that its flavor remains intact over time.

 

For celebrity and high-end guests, we offer private tastings and we were the first in the world to take olive oil tasting workshops in villas, yachts and even on deserted beaches! Flexibility and customer satisfaction are what define us. 

​

Olive Oil is not a simple product, is a product that stimulates senses and emotions like no other. People leave the tasting table with a big smile, deep appreciation and gratitude for Nature’s most valuable gift and a great fascination for Greek Olive Oil.