The four cuvées of Oikos Antalis have one thing in common: they are made from 100% Koroneiki. This small olive from the Peloponnese is the most planted variety in Greece, and one of the most sought after by those who love green, bitter, peppery oils. Here is what makes it so special, and why it gives four such different oils depending on the grove.
An olive born in the Peloponnese
Koroneiki takes its name from Koroni, a village in Messinia, in the south-west of the Peloponnese, a few dozen kilometres from our estates in Ilia. It has been grown in the region since antiquity and has spread across southern Greece, Crete and as far as Australia and California, where it is planted for the quality of its oil.
Small olive, great oil
The fruit is tiny: barely more than a gram, far from large table olives. It takes many olives, and a lot of hand work, to fill a bottle. In return, Koroneiki is generous in oil and above all very rich in polyphenols, the natural antioxidants behind bitterness and pepperiness.
- High polyphenols. Our 2026 harvest analyses show 424 mg/kg for Skourochori and 359 mg/kg for Agios Ilias, well above the European threshold of 250 mg/kg for the polyphenol health claim.
- Rich in oleic acid. The monounsaturated fatty acid typical of great olive oils, which also helps them keep well.
- Hardy. The tree withstands drought and wind, which suits the dry hills of Ilia without intensive irrigation.
The taste of Koroneiki
Picked early, still green, Koroneiki gives an intensely green, fruity oil: cut grass, tomato leaf, artichoke, green almond. On the palate, the bitterness is clear and the peppery bite comes at the back of the throat. This is not a defect: it is the signature of polyphenols and freshness, the one competition juries look for.
One variety, four characters
If the variety is the same, why do our four cuvées taste so different? Because, as with wine, soil, tree age and harvest date change everything.
- Skourochori: trees 250 years old and more, on a hill facing the Ionian Sea. The most intense cuvée, with notes of fennel, anise and tomato.
- Agios Ilias: black soil rich in marine fossils, 700 metres from the sea. A balanced green fruitiness, with notes of rocket.
- Paliovarvassena: young trees in a meadow facing Olympia, between a stream and orange trees. The most delicate, with anise, fennel and herbs.
- Myrtia: our new estate, two kilometres from the sea. Its first cuvée arrives with the next harvest.
How we work it
To keep the best of Koroneiki, we pick it by hand in early October, cold-extract its oil the same day and have each cuvée analysed by an independent laboratory. The results are published on our Analyses page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Koroneiki a good oil for cooking?
Yes. Its polyphenols and oleic acid make it stable for gentle cooking. But it shows its fruitiness best raw, drizzled over a dish.
Why does Koroneiki oil sting the throat?
That tingle comes from oleocanthal, a polyphenol abundant in early-picked olives. The more there is, the fresher the oil.
Discover our four Koroneiki cuvées, or read our article on polyphenols.