Let’s meet
Dimitra
Her friends call her a “dreamer” and yes she dreams and smiles a lot! Passionate for many things but let’s call it in general passionate for life.
Quite good student (MBA holder) but she gets bored easily and the “career” in the multinational companies ended quickly …When she met her husband, Stathis, and she got passionate with magic olive oil world!!
Today, she is an olive oil taster, member in the certified olive oil tasting panel of the University of Peloponnese, she has two children, and she is leaving her dream within ..The Olive Routes…
Stathis
Since his grand, grand, grandfather his family owned the same Olive oil Mill in the land they love Androusa Messinias ..Olive oil, it’s in his DNA…
He loves the olive trees…to cultivate and to spend time with them.
He loves also simple life…like drinking ouzo with the same friends the last 20 years in the “kafeneio” of his village.
Now, he is co-owner of a modern olive oil mill, he exports his branded extra virgin olive oil ‘a messiniako” in many countries, and he is starting to become a passionate olive router!
The olive oil & wine tour in Messinia
Duration
4 hours
Group size
Up to 12 people
Type
Olive oil tasting
Language
English - US, Greek
The Experience
A half day tour that introduces you to the most important products of the area: olive oil and wine. It starts with a relaxing “olivewalk” inside the 13th century castle of Androusa, a visit at a local winery and at a modern and a traditional olive oil mill. The tour ends with a revealing olive oil tasting & wine workshop accompanied with small gourmet olive oil dishes and a traditional light meal.
- Walk inside a Byzantine Castle with perennial olive trees.
- Visit a local Winery and find out about the local wine production.
- Taste 3 different wine varieties.
- Travel in time at the 100 years old olive press factory (mill).
- Learn about the quality and production of Extra Virgin olive oil at the modern Olive oil Mill
- Feel like an olive oil taster, in an Olive oil tasting workshop with 4 different extra virgin olive oils by experienced olive oil taster (member of certified olive oil panel).
- Enjoy a food tasting experience of Greek Mezedes (small dishes) and food pairing with olive oil.
- Taste local fresh food
Your Itinerary
Explore the castle of Androusa
Our tour starts at the 13th century castle of Androusa, located in the heart of Messinia, just 20 minutes drive from Kalamata and 10 minutes from Ancient Messini. Walk inside the castle with the breathtaking view of the endless olive valley, learn about different varieties of olive trees and discover the history, the tradition and the mythical story of the castle’s olive trees…An interactive ”olive game” will keep you smiling the whole time!
Visit a local winery
Next, we visit a family winery, only 3 minutes drive away, to witness the production of the Greek wine varieties and taste at least 3 different wines. The aromas of Greek wine varieties surprise us!
Visit a traditional and a modern Olive oil Mill.
In the center of Androusa village, visit a unique olive oil mill that is located there for more than 120 years. Discover the history of the traditional olive oil Mill and find out about the procedure of the extraction, the storage and standardization process of the extra virgin olive oil in the past and nowadays at the modern olive oil Mill.
Discover the quality of extra virgin olive oil in an olive oil tasting workshop!
Inside the traditional olive oil Mill the dining table is set with the special blue olive oil tasting glasses awaiting you to become a tasting expert! Taste the extra virgin olive oil of the Koroneiki variety, learn about its sensory characteristics and recognize the elements that define the extra virgin olive oil. Taste different varieties of Greek extra virgin olive oil such us “Manaki”, “Chalkidikis”, “Makris” etc and feel like an olive oil taster!
Pair your food with extra virgin olive oil!
What about food? The extra virgin olive oil of different varieties is matched with traditional recipes including yogurt, fruit and vegetables. You will be surprised!
Enjoy traditional “mezedes”
The day, full of emotions and new knowledge, ends with a variety of traditional dishes..Fresh vegetables from our garden, Greek Gruyère cheese, tzatziki, Kalamata olives, olive tapenade, lalagia (local breadsticks), smoked sausage, spinach pie and of course wine & ouzo.
The history, the soul, the tradition, the gastronomy of Messinia are revealed through the olive oil paths… enjoy a unique experience in our endless olive groves filled with the wisdom, the flavor and the aroma of Peloponnese.
Inclusions
Four different extra virgin olive oil
Light meal
Local flavours - food & olive oil pairing
Local wine or ouzo
Olive oil tasting workshop
Three wine varieties tasting
Visit Castle of Androusa
Visit local winery
Visit traditional olive oil press
Exclusions
Transport
Messinia
In only 10 minutes drive from our Olive Groves you can visit the city of Ancient Messene.
Messene is a significant ancient city in terms of its size, form, and state of preservation, and still has much to offer. It possesses not only sanctuaries and public buildings, but also imposing fortifications, and houses and tombs. It enjoys, amongst other things, the advantage of never having been destroyed or covered by later settlements, and is located on an unspoiled inland site. Its natural setting combines the grandeur of the mountains of Delphi with the low-lying, riverine tranquillity of Olympia, the dominating bare limestone mass of Ithome, the site of the ancient acropolis, with the low fertile valley around the ancient city.
Descending from Mavromati village, we reach the Museum. Passing through the vineyards and the olive fields, we see on the right the theatre of ancient Messene with its spectacular walls, and on the left, the Arsinoi Fountain. Moving on to a narrow path, we see on our left the Market, and after that, the sacred area of Asklipieion.
Experiences Near By
AUD83 /people
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