Lesvos Gold

Lesvos Gold is a premium extra virgin olive oil with a long tradition, produced in the unique setting of the island’s mountainous villages.

Discovery

Lesvos Gold is yet another happy discovery of an exceptional gastronomic product at the comprehensive food fair EXPOTROF.

Lesvos Gold is a monovarietal, premium extra virgin olive oil of limited production. It is produced exclusively from the Kolovi olive variety, also known as Valanolia or Mytilinia, which grows exclusively on the Greek island of Lesvos, also known as Mytilene.

The unique setting of the mountainous villages of southern Lesvos is the perfect environment in which the Kolovi olive trees can thrive. The compact soil, the benevolent altitude of about 600 metres, and the specific climatic conditions of the area, produce the distinctive bitterness, fruity flavour and peppery undertones that Lesvos Gold possesses.

Lesvos Gold is certified as a PGI, Protected Geographical Indication, product and has won numerous national and international awards.

Memory

Konstantinos Kolivas, its founder, graduated from the University of Piraeus in 1983. He had had considerable experience working with multinational companies such as Coca-Cola and Pespsico, before deciding to return to his ancestral island of Lesvos.

After his homecoming, he initially worked as the CEO for a cooperative industrial company. Inspired by his long family tradition of olive oil production, he re-established the family business, which was founded in 1919 by his grandfather, whose purpose back then was the wholesale of olive oil and the making of soap.

Narration

The olives for Lesvos Gold are handpicked at early harvest, when the fruits, yielding less quantity of oil nevertheless offer a higher percentage of polyphenols and antioxidants and a characteristic fruity and pungent taste. The olives are then stored in crates under constantly controlled conditions.

The unique setting of the mountainous villages of southern Lesvos is the perfect environment in which the Kolovi olive trees can thrive.

Within five hours after harvest, the olives are cold-pressed using a centrifugal process, never exceeding the temperature of 27°C, in order to retain all their beneficial substances. During this stage of production numerous quality tests are performed, to ensure that the olive oil keeps all its exceptional organoleptic properties.

Before being bottled, Lesvos Gold is stored in stainless steel tanks for a short period of time, which allows for a natural sedimentation process under ideal conditions of 10-15°C with no exposure to air.

The liquid “gold” is poured into numbered bottles whose glass colour protects the precious contents within.

The team of Lesvos Gold plan to produce olive oil infused with different aromas such as garlic, chili, and truffle. They also plan to extract oil from the wild Agrelia variety of olives.