Olive oil and wine, a traditional bond at Evonymon

Evonymon was founded in 2013 by Stavroula Rozou (PhD pharmacist) and Nicolas Krikelis (MSc chemist), with the aim to produce and market Greek products, like extra virgin olive oil and aromatic herbs of Greece. Our goal is to continuously improve and promote quality Greek products, by boosting the role and contribution of the Mediterranean diet to our health. Our products can be found in selected groceries and delicatessens in Greece and several food outlets abroad.
The company’s estate, Agros, is based in Varakes, Messinia (southern Peloponnese), just a few km from Pylos and Methoni. It is open for visiting the olive grove, the botanical garden with endemic aromatic herbs, and a small collection of wild orchids. In the estate, there is a small private olive mill where the awarded extra virgin olive oil is cold extracted. The aromatic herbs are cultivated in the area, picked by hand, naturally dried and packed in our own packaging facilities.
The estate is open all year round for olive oil experiences; visiting the olive mill, tasting olive oils and food pairing with extra virgin olive oil. The owner will teach you how to distinguish a good olive oil, how to store it, and use it. You will also learn all the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil. You can also participate at olive harvesting and olive oil production in mid-autumn.
Visitors have also the chance to pick up seasonal fruits or vegetables from the garden and find the exquisite products of the estate and of other local producers in the shop.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

Guests are welcomed with a choice of cool or hot infusion of our herbs and a fruit juice. The tour begins with a presentation of our work, vision, and the historical background of olive cultivation and olive oil production. Guests have the opportunity to observe the way olives are collected within the olive grove, replicating the process done during the harvesting season. They will have a close look at the 19th-century olive millstones and press, as well as our small private modern olive mill, where our awarded extra virgin olive oil is cold-extracted. Following the tour, an olive oil tasting ensues. Tables are arranged in the garden, where guests sample 5-6 different oils. Extensive discussions cover the positive and negative attributes of the oils, methods to distinguish a good olive oil, proper storage and usage, as well as the health and multiple benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The tour also delves into the long history of wine cultivation in Greece, featuring a food pairing session where guests taste 4 different local wines. The price includes water and coffee. We serve rye rusks with soft cheese and lemon spoon sweet, pasta salad, olives, cold cuts, cheese, a savory loaf with herbs and cheese, and a dessert. At the tour’s conclusion, one lucky guest will win a prize in a knowledge quiz. Guests are encouraged to stroll around the garden and acquaint themselves with endemic plants and herbs.