Olive Oil in Greece
Fossilized olive leaves found on the Greek Islands of the Aegean are said to be more than 50,000 years old. The Island of Chios is one such Aegean Island and the Olive Groves of Liotrivi Oil are found on this 5th Largest Island of Greece, just off the Turkish Chios IslandAegean Coast.
Our Island
The Greek island of Chios is approximately 842 square KM with a population of 50,000 people. Half that population lives in Chios Town (Hora). This Greek Island is situated in the east part of the Aegean sea, below the Greek island of Lesbos and above the Greek island of Samos. The Chios country site is one with many faces, there are planes where the agriculture flourishes or planes with rocky surface.
Chios is an island with a long history, that dates back to ancient times. Like many of the Greek islands, Chios has a turbulent history. It’s long history resulted in well preserved Byzantine monasteries and medieval villages. The different influences of the island rulers such as the Turks, The Genoese, the Romans and Alexander the Great left ancient monuments and abandoned churches and monasteries. Due to it position in the Aegean sea it was the center of commercial activities during the middle ages.
Chios is known as the fragrant flower of the Aegean. From the first inhabitants from the Early Neolithic Era and Early Bronze Age to the tourist that arrive nowadays, Everybody who came to Chios has fallen in love with this Greek Island. Maybe because of the Islands jasmine, wild tulips, the mastic tree and intoxicating fragrances.
Our Olives
Our Olive Groves can be found just north and west of the medieval village of Agios Georgios Sikousis. The few inhabitants of this village are farmers, who cultivate mastic tress, olive trees and fig trees. Our Olives comes from generational olive groves currently cultivated by the 3rd Generation of the family and is imported to the United States in small batches by Liotrivi.
The groves are tended by family and in addition to the older olive groves we have recently planted new olive groves to allow us to continue the production of the Liotrivi Olive oil. This will ensure we have a constant and increasing supply of olive oil.
Production
Our Olive Oil is made in small batches. Olive harvest occurs in late November into the winter months. Our olives are then hand-sorted and taken to the local village olive press where Liotrivi Olive Oil is officially born. This first press of the olive oil is available shortly thereafter. A portion of that Olive oil is kept by our family in Greece while the rest is shipped to the United States where it is packaged and available for purchase.