About Us

 Like Homer's classic, we are inspired by an Odyssean quest to return to our roots and honor our ancestors, while also promoting healthy living and supporting the local economy. We are a family based in Greece and the United States, and we lovingly manage a centuries-old olive oil estate located in the area of Longanikos/Sparta, at the base of mythical Mount Taygetos. Our venture adheres strictly to the ancient wisdom of Hippocrates: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." As a result, we strive to create extra virgin olive oil that not only satisfies the taste buds but also nourishes, repairs, and protects your cells. We are also committed to the communities in which our groves are situated, as we treat our farming partners with respect and equity and work tirelessly to promote the remarkable quality of the extra virgin olive oil produced in this region.

We only use traditional farming methods and rely solely on natural rainfall, avoiding using chemicals or pesticides. The resulting olive oil is unparalleled in taste, and our very discerning customers claim that once you've tried the "real deal", it's difficult to settle for anything less. In 2018, we planted additional baby trees, which will be a gift for future generations to savor and another source of economic activity for the local communities.

 A deep commitment to good health is also one of our main pillars.  We are passionate about educating people on the benefits of consuming organic extra virgin olive oil, known for its health benefits for thousands of years. A recent study conducted by the Karolinska Institute and reported on CNN showed that consuming two teaspoons of high phenolic EVOO per day can lower the overall risk of death by 34%, lower the risk of dying from heart disease by 19%, lower the risk of dying from cancer by 17%, lower the risk of dying from neurodegenerative diseases by 29%, and lower the risk of dying from respiratory illnesses by 18%. Our company has also been accepted into the European Union's certification program for organic/biological food products, which is the most rigorously vetted and regarded as the Gold Standard worldwide for verified safe, organic products. We adhere strictly to these standards, which include frequent, random, on-site monitoring by the certification staff and annual soil testing, among other stringent compliance requirements. We also conduct an annual chemical analysis to maintain high-quality standards and ensure the absence of defects in the olive oil, with an acidity limit set at less than 0.3, substantially lower than the industry standard of <0.8 for extra virgin olive oil. 

Thank you for reading about our family's passion for providing unique and healthy products.  Stin ygeia sou!  To your health!

Updated February 2023

In Memoriam 

Dimitrios (Jimmy) Sarantakis

As I look back on my cherished memories of my older brother, Dimitrios, my heart fills with both sadness for his loss and gratitude for the incredible bond we shared. Growing up in Sparta, Greece, we were inseparable, and our close sibling relationship continued even after we immigrated to the United States with our family in the 1960s.

In 1997, Dimitrios decided to return to Greece and settled in his new life in Thessaloniki. But his love for our homeland extended far beyond the hustle and bustle of the city, and he soon joined the effort to restore the family olive groves in our ancestral area. We worked tirelessly together for over 20 years, committed to using sustainable and organic farming practices to produce a premium olive oil that would benefit both the community and the environment even in years when we faced steep losses due to poor weather or other natural reasons.  We were (and are!) committed to producing artisanal, organic olive oil of exceptional quality that reflected the unique history and myth of the valley just north of Sparta. Despite the challenging hilly terrain and microclimate conditions that made mass production impossible, we even successfully planted ~1000 new trees and persevered to create a product that we believed in.

One of my most cherished memories was the harvest season in November. I joined "Theo Jimmy" in Greece to help with the harvest, and for over a week, we'd work side by side, gathering olives, trimming trees, and packing them into bags to be pressed. It was an opportunity to reconnect with each other and our shared childhood memories of playing in the fields for hours on end. And when we finally saw the olive oil pressed and shooting out with a golden green color, it was a life-affirming rite of passage that has been occurring for millennia which honors our ancestors and olive culture. 

Though Uncle Jimmy is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through the olive groves he helped restore and the premium olive oil we now produce annually. Until we meet again, dear brother and kind friend to many.

John (Giannis)