PREMIUM VS. CONVENTIONAL OLIVE OIL

The international Extra Virgin Olive Oil market is characterized by increasing levels of competition based on cost reductions. Contrastingly, by prioritizing Quality over Quantity, there are specific factors that demarcate an Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) from a Premium to a Conventional classification. The most pivotal of these variables lye in the:

Acidity: 

There is an immense differentiation between olive oil that has been produced within the variance of acidity ranging from 0.3 to 0.8 percent. As a general rule-of-thumb, Premium Quality cannot be credited when the acidity reaches at level of 0.3 and above. At AKRA MOREA© our olive oils boast an ultra low acidity, guaranteed at being below 0.3% which ranks them among the most supreme of olive oils.

Origin: 

As far as the geographical origin of the EVOO is concerned, it is vastly recognized that Greek olive crops are acclaimed for their rich and fertile characteristics, making their oil pursued around the world. It is not surprising that Greece supplies the 3^rd largest quantity of olive oil on the earth (MFA,GR). While it is accepted that Greek soil, climate and sunlight are distinctive and can render outstanding EVOOs, this is substantially proliferated by the fact that AKRA MOREA© utilises carefully monitored cultivation and milling techniques eliciting the best out of its terroir.  

Fruit Variety:

The rareness and unique features of the fruit variety is an additional noteworthy parameter that demarcates the type of olive oil that is yielded. At AKRA MOREA© we are fortunate enough to cultivate the sought after and decidedly distinctive variety of Athenoelia. 

Fruit Processing:

The methodologies undertaken in the management of the yield and the steps of the whole production system are the variants that grant the final product its character. These include but are not limited to the process that is followed during the cultivation of the olive trees, the harvesting of the fruit, its pressing as well as its storage. These are consequential steps in its classification and its irrefutable quality. As we detail further in the core section about us, Our Way at Akra Morea Estate, from the cultivation and the care of the olive trees to the pressing of the fruit, we painstakingly adhere to strict control modes and high calibre structures in order to achieve the craftsmanship that we are proud to call AKRA MOREA© olive oil.

Production Size:

The production size plays a further crucial role as it is very cumbersome, if not impossible to produce Premium standard EVOOs in large, mass-produced quantities. It is only logical that bulk-production mechanisms cannot pay any regard to the controlled modus operandi imperative in the production of Premium quality. By aiming at maximizing the quality rather than the quantity of our produce, we maintain a relatively low production size averaging at approx. 12,000 litres per annum.

Aromatic Intensity:

A Premium quality EVOO differs significantly from a conventional one in the intensity and the purity of the fruity, bitter and spicy notes that it renders.

Premium olive oils convey much greater aromatic intensity levels than conventional extra virgin olive oils. These can include but are not limited to fruity aromas (like the fruit of the olive or hints of apple, citrus, or fresh vegetables like artichoke, greens, freshly cut grass and spices). 

When a Premium EVOO is tasted, bitter and spicy notes are fully elucidated and immerse the palette, perhaps alongside or followed by a moderately sweeter flavor revealing essences that resonate with fruits, vegetables, grass and spices. It is imperative to appreciate that a sharp and fresh punch is expected as a Premium EVOO is in essence like any other naturally-derived fluid extract, like the substance in fruit juice.

These qualities cannot be experienced in a conventional EVOO however, which displays a less acute 'oily' after-feel, that is fusty, musty-humid, winey-vinegary and/or rancid due to prolonged contact with atmospheric air, light, humidity, acidity and heat while also having been hastily mass-produced under spurious circumstances. 

Organic Certifications:

An organic EVOO that has been produced in ways that are both sustainable to the environment as well as fully nurturing to the consumer has much greater value than an olive oil that has been produced without restrictions on cultivation, extraction and storage. 

At AKRA MOREA© we are proud to have been acknowledged by the D.I.O (Δ.Η.Ω.) which is the Organic Products Control & Certification Organization in Greece, having been certified across our organic range, thus authorizing our excellency.  

Sustainable Agriculture:

Olive oil production in the Mediterranean is associated with gravely polluting byproducts that cause serious environmental harm. Such chemicals are absorbed by soil, rivers and lakes returning in the form of polluted agricultural commodities. 

At AKRA MOREA© we support 'clean' technologies and 'green' agriculture by incorporating environmentally integrated techniques. We treat and utilize only natural wastes from our olive oil production for tree cultivation without any chemical fertilizers. The wastewater is co-composted with solid wastes (pulp, olive stone residue, olive tree leaves and branches) producing an organo-humic nitrogen nutrient soil conditioner. The compost is mixed, stored and left for about a year to dry before returning it to the grove.

Any nitrogen that is retrieved from our groves in the picking of olives, branches and grass is replaced to the ground in the form of compost. We measure the nitrogen in our groves twice a year and for every ton of fruit that we remove we return about 10 kilos of nitrogen per acre. 

Competitions & Testing

Premium olive oils are not afraid to pass through the strictest of tests by certified chemists.

A premium EVOO can be awarded prizes by various global competitive panels and appear to have the same or better elemental analyses and consistencies year after year. An ordinary or conventional EVOO on the other hand, would not be fit to reach equivalent panels and contend among premium olive oils.

At AKRA MOREA© we are proud to have gained the Berlin Global 2021 and 2020 Gold and Silver Awards as well as the London 2019 Silver Award across all of our product categories.

We also undergo three steps of chemical and organoleptic testing before storing the olive oil successively in stainless tanks. These tests take place (a) externally in chemical laboratories that ensure that the oil has not been contaminated by traces of chemicals from surrounding groves or unveil any organoleptic defects (b) by certified panelists where the oil is graded and (c) internally where we ensure to have quan/litative consistency across all the specifically tailored product lines that we offer.  

Storage & Packaging

The type of storage of the final produce as well as the packaging of the stock also play a pivotal role in the longevity and the conclusive quality of the final product. It is not warranted for a premium EVOO that has been developed with such stringent rules to be bottled in simplistic glass or plastic bottles that offer no protection from humidity, light, air or shifted temperature.

At AKRA MOREA© we ensure that we safeguard the quality of this very special yet sensitive to the elements product. We store the olive oil in nitrogen and argon supported stainless tanks, in accordance with the most stringent of requirements. We insert nitrogen at the end of every bottle load before sealing it and replace the oxygen in each bottle, thus preserving the oil's authentic nutrients, flavor and texture.

The bottles that we use for stocking the final produce have also been incorporated with latest manufacturing technologies including thorough interior fluoridation, thermal protection, maximized dark exterior and heavy ergonomic design. Each bottle is dated by hand on the day of its filling in order to mark its personal seal of freshness.

Every bottle is placed in tailored delivery boxes that have been designed with rigorous consideration (having undergone drop-tests) in order to establish their purpose-build precision. These protect from any exterior damage, ensuring that you will receive the final product in Reassuringly Premium Condition.