Cultivation

Olives
Mani offers the best conditions for olive cultivation: a combination of high light intensity and duration of sunshine, a few hours of rain and a stone and mineral rich mountain soil near the sea. Here thrives the Koroneiki olive variety, producing one of the best olive oils in the world. The cultivation of olive trees is totally organic. This means, among other things, that no chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used, thus safeguarding biodiversity. Pests are controlled through biological methods. In the olive groves the natural vegetation of legumes and weeds grows and keeps the soil fertile. Additional irrigation is not necessary. Organic farming requires intensive care, but protects soil and water. And a healthy environment may be reflected in the taste.

Another feature of the special cultivation of olive trees in the Mani is the severe pruning, which contributes to the unique quality of the products: once a year the trees are pruned to a minimum size. In contrast to the usual oil yield of about 5 to 15 liters per tree, the smaller Koroneiki olive tree in the Mani only produces 1 to 3 liters of pure “green gold”. Here is quality over quantity.

The second “star” of the area is the famous Kalamata table olive, originary of these regions like Koroneiki. Kalamata olives have a slightly thicker skin and a firmer flesh than other olives, so they are fit for transportation and processing even when fully ripe. This allows the farmers to wait for them to reach the right stage of ripeness on the tree, and pick them by hand selecting them one by one. Tree ripened olives are quite a rare luxury to find on the market: with Kalamata olives we have a ripe fruit with rich taste, crunchy texture and plenty of beneficial nutritional components.

Origin of other products
The sunny, fertile region of Lilantio Pedio on the island of Evia (Aegean Sea) offers the best conditions for the natural, gentle drying of fresh tomatoes. For the sundried tomato mezes only ripe tomatoes, of the “San Marzano” variety are carefully picked by hand. They are characterized by particular firmness, deep red color and sweetness.

The capers, salt and balsamic vinegar come from long-term collaborators who produce the valuable natural products with the high quality standards of Bläuel.