The secret of the green Amfissa olive: Why outstanding olive oil is real handicraft

Here with us, everything revolves around a very special variety: the Amfissa olive. It traditionally comes from the groves in central Greece and around Delphi and the Pelion. These olives are wonderfully round, fleshy and are characterized by an exceptionally fruity, rich aroma and thus provide the best conditions for our “green gold”, the Peli Olive Oil.

For our extra virgin olive oil, we don’t wait until the olives are dark, soft and overripe. We harvest them green. Green olives give significantly less oil than ripe, black fruits – but this is exactly where the secret for gourmets lies: The oil from the green Amfissa olives is bursting with valuable polyphenols (antioxidants) and has that incomparably fresh, slightly peppery and intense taste that makes real quality. We simply leave the fallen or red olives for the birds.

In southern Pelion, the mythical home of the Centaurs, autumn is dawning. The heat of summer gives way to a gentle, mild climate that not only breathes a sigh of relief for our remote, pristine landscape, but also provides the perfect conditions for a true treasure of nature: the Amfissa olive. When the sun bathes the olive groves in a golden light, the most important time of the year begins here in Peli Kastri. The olive harvest is much more than just agricultural work – it is a celebration of community, a return to ancient traditions and the only way to create an olive oil that will delight even the most demanding gourmets.

The queen of olives and the courage to harvest early The Amfissa olive is rightly called the queen of olives due to its size and wonderfully fresh taste. However, if you want to produce a truly outstanding extra virgin olive oil, you have to be brave. Instead of waiting until the fruit is black, soft and productive, we harvest our olives exclusively in the green state and at the earliest possible time.

A race against time An olive oil of the absolute top class does not come about by itself. It requires dedication and one hundred percent commitment. In our olive groves, which have been untreated and chemical-free for decades, each fruit is carefully picked by hand. This is the only way we can ensure that the olives remain intact and do not oxidize due to bruising.

Once the nets are filled, the real race begins. During harvest time, we work day and night to ensure that the freshly harvested fruits reach the mill without delay. Just a few hours after picking, they are cold extracted there in a purely mechanical process. This uncompromising freshness is the secret of our pure, independently tested olive oil – bottled in sustainable glass bottles to preserve the pure taste and quality to the last drop.

Nature experience for the whole family Our olive harvest is an experience that appeals to all the senses and connects generations. Away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, working in nature becomes a grounding, almost meditative experience. Children can romp freely in the groves, discover nature and help out playfully. Lunch together traditionally takes place directly under the centuries-old trees – a rustic, cheerful get-together where there is a lot of laughter and enjoyment.

If you want to deepen the connection to this special place, you can even put down roots symbolically: With our “Adopt an Olive Tree” program, you can become a sponsor of one of our ancient trees. Your tree will receive a personal name tag, and as a sponsor, you will receive your own fresh olive oil delivered to your home immediately after harvesting – a wonderful, sustainable gift for yourself or your loved ones.

Become part of our harvest family Would you like to taste how much work, history and heart and soul goes into every drop of Peli oil? Then lend a hand, enjoy traditional Greek specialties and celebrate the cycle of nature with us.

Here you can find all the details and registration for our week “Happy Olive Harvest 26”.

Why real quality is pure craftsmanship

An olive oil of the absolute top class does not forgive mistakes. If an olive is damaged or falls crushed to the ground, the oxidation process begins immediately – and the oil loses quality.

That’s why we don’t shake it with heavy machinery. We gently pick the fruit by hand into the nets laid out. This is time-consuming, requires many helping hands and takes longer, but it is the only way to keep the fruit intact. And something else is crucial: in order to obtain extra virgin olive oil, our hand-picked olives have to go to the oil mill on the same day. Only through this rapid, cold pressing within a few hours can we capture the maximum taste and healthy ingredients in the bottle.

Perfect for harvesting: Fresh, green Amfissa olives. Source: Vecteezy

A party for the whole family

However, our olive harvest is not just a work camp, but a celebration of community. Work and celebration are inextricably linked for us. We spend the day together outside in nature, and we have lunch right under the trees in the olive grove – just like the families here have done for centuries.

Children are expressly welcome with us (the more, the funnier!). They love to romp around in nature, spread out the nets with the adults or even baptize their own olive tree. At our tree baptisms you can choose a tree, adopt it for a year and hang a homemade name tag around it.

What else to expect during harvest week

In addition to the (voluntary!) harvest work, we have put together a wonderful program in which enjoyment and relaxation are not neglected:

• Exciting excursions: We will visit the local oil mill together, where you can watch the fascinating process of production live.
• Pure cuisine: Experience a wine tasting at a local winemaker and learn how to prepare traditional Greek specialties (which we will of course eat together afterwards) during our cooking class.
• Nature & Relaxation: We hike along the old stone paths (kalderimis) to secluded bays. If you are looking for absolute peace, you can even combine the harvest with Vipassana meditation as a special – a grounding experience in which working in nature becomes deep regeneration.

Whether you lend a hand or just enjoy the atmosphere at a picnic under the trees – by participating you will secure a share of the harvest at a special price at the end. Your fresh, high-quality oil will then be delivered directly to your home.

Be there when we harvest the treasures of nature together!

👉 All information, prices and registration for the Happy Olive Harvest Autumn 2026 can be found here!