Oil of '21

"Breath of Freedom" — Πνοή Ελευθερίας

1821 collectible bottles from centuries-old olive trees, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution (1821 - 2021).

1821

Bottles Produced

1000+

Year-Old Trees

Perennial Trees

450kg

Per Tree Capacity

The Story

A Gift of Freedom

On Wednesday, March 16th, 2022, a special event took place at the Cultural Center of Kalamata to present the "Oil of '21". The event was part of the celebration of the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821, organized by the Municipality of Kalamata.

Held under the auspices of the "Greece 2021" Committee, it concerned the standardization of extra virgin oil harvested from centuries-old olive trees. 1821 collectible bottles (500 ml) were produced under the name "Breath of Freedom" and shipped to eminent personalities around the world (scientists, political leaders, intellectual individuals).

The purpose was to promote freedom, dialogue, diplomacy, healthy living, Greek cuisine, and culture worldwide.

The Blessed Trees

Over 1000 Years of History

For this project, olives were harvested from our family's 32 perennial olive trees in the area of Vasilada in Central Messinia. These trees have been standing proudly for over 1000 years, offering us the "green gold", extra virgin olive oil, a key component of the Mediterranean diet.

The branches of each tree cover an area of approximately 70 square metres and their production capacity surpasses 450 kg of olives per tree. For us, cultivating these "blessed" trees is a holy duty. Our ancestors have been farming them diligently for more than 10 centuries.

Approximately 120 perennial olive trees (32 of which belong to our family) in the wider area constitute a unique natural "museum". Their significant importance lies in being among the very few trees that survived the fires caused by Ibrahim Pasha's army in 1828 during his withdrawal from Messinia.

The Harvest

A Family Celebration

The harvest was completed by all members of our family, young and old alike, because for us, olive-picking is a celebration.

During the harvest, a video-recording was conducted with the supervision and funding of the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation (Costa Navarino).

The production of the olive oil from this particular grove took place on the same day, at the state-of-the-art facilities of Efstathios Kontopoulos in Androussa, Messinia. The olive oil was placed in a special tank until standardization.

We are greatly honored that the officials of the Municipality of Kalamata chose our olive oil for this purpose. We are proud to have contributed to this effort to promote our home-country worldwide.

"Breath" bon voyage…

Gallery

Moments from the Journey