Today we stopped at Katakolon in Greece. 

We had the opportunity to visit a vineyard and an olive grove (and the processing plants for their products) near Olympia, Greece.   It was a beautiful day to be outdoors and meet the owners of these family businesses – and to taste some very good olive oils and wines.   

And then there is the history. Of course, history is involved when you visit Olympia, where the first Olympiad was held in 776 BC.  Only ruins remain at the site, but you can imagine the massive Temple of Zeus and the stadium that could hold 45,000 spectators.  

The olive oil grove we visited (Oilympian Olive Oil Mill) is one of many small ones in the area, but it holds the machinery used by many of the local producers to press the olives and bottle the oil.  The grapes are pressed on the day they are harvested in order to keep their acidity level low— a requirement to qualify as extra virgin olive oil.  The tasting involved various flavored oils (herbs, cheese and citrus flavors) – delicious!

Then on to a lovely vineyard (Olympia Land Estate) to taste some crisp white wines and a dry red, while enjoying local cheese and snacks. 

One of the white wines was Assyrtiko, which is getting a lot of buzz in the US these days. It was originally grown by the ancient Greeks on the island of Santorini. Now the vines are grown in Australia, South Africa and the USA, and it is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world.   

As it turns out, we were supposed to visit Santorini but due to increased volcanic activity on the island that trip was canceled.

Next stop, Corfu! 

MAM and & JFB