Mirambello Valley terroir
Much like wine, the characteristics of an olive oil – its quality, taste, aroma and colour – are determined by its environment and growing conditions. The fertile valley of Neapoli, also called Mirambello Valley, is recognized to produce some of the finest olive oils in the world.
The valley is near the coast on the Greek island of Crete with a geomorphology and microclimate ideal for olive cultivation: cold wet winters and hot dry summers. The rains roll down the mountains and hills of various elevations, running into many small dales like a natural irrigation system. This rainwater brings nutrients from the forests and wooded slopes into the olive groves. The valley is untouched by industry and unchanged by mass tourism. Pretty country roads wind their way through small isolated dales, terraced olive groves, tiny villages, monastic dependencies and fields of aromatic herbs and wildflowers
We work with nature
Each Vassilakis generation learns the secrets of pruning, composting and mulching to sustain the soil quality. Grazing animals clear weeds between the trees, while providing manure for fertilizing. And we also use traditional preventions to trap or ward off pests. All these techniques keep our trees healthy and disease-resistant. Nothing is wasted. Pruned branches, leaves and twigs that are separated from the olives during harvesting, all are composted and used to create natural fertilizer. As an agent against global warming, olive trees have a positive carbon balance. They remove more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere than is emitted during olive oil production.
Why is acidity level important?
The acidity level in olive oil is a measure of the oil’s quality. It is a reflection of the effort invested in the production process, from the olive tree and the harvest to the olive mill and the final bottling phase. High quality, freshly pressed olive oil has a low acidity, expressed as grams of oleic acid per 100g of oil. To qualify as extra virgin according to international guidelines, an olive oil must have less than 0.8g or 0.8% acidity. But premium extra virgin olive oils will have an acidity level much lower than that: aiming for 0.3% or less.
Organoleptic profile
Balanced and well-structured. Fruity, with medium pungency, pleasant slightly bitter aftertaste.
A very versatile everyday extra virgin, suitable for cooking, grilling, roasting, sautéing, frying and raw salads.