Winter is nearly here and it’s not long until the olive harvest in Crete. The weather this year has been much more stable and we are expecting a better crop this year after the 2016 lower yield. Once the weather switches from summer to winter, the olives will start to ripen and we quickly head to the fields to start picking. This is the early harvest which yields the very best extra virgin olive oil as the olives have the perfect balance in flavour and a naturally low acidity. With its southern Mediterranean location, the harvest in Crete is always several weeks after that in Italy and France and sometimes crosses over Christmas.
Evening conversations in local taverna’s focus on nothing other than olive picking as friends discuss their seasonal crop and exchange tips on pruning the trees whilst downing an ouzo with some freshly prepared mezze.
Our harvest will be starting soon and before long our 2017/18 season oil will hit the UK. Watch this space for more info!
Image shows our founder Maria with her father Yiannis checking the irrigation system which we use to water the trees during the dry summer.