At harvest, each grower brings their fruit to one of the 3,000 or so local mills. Sometimes they make just enough for family and friends. Sometimes they make more. Those that make more dispose their oil to the “markets”. Regional, these local markets consist of large exporters and/or brands and one or two brokers.
Small producers who sell to buyers other than these ”established” ones risk being ostracized by the established buyers in subsequent seasons. It should also be noted that, generally, mills receive a fee as well as a percentage of the product of the harvest (usually 10%). The mills take their cut from each producer, blend the oils together and sell it. Some of the small producers, for various reasons, band together into one of the more than 60 cooperatives.

As of this June, blended mill oil was selling at an average of 2.5 Euros per kilo. Producers who canned their own oil – and who had a buyer for this canned oil – received on average 4 Euros per kilo. Producers who opted
to sell their oil to a local company or broker received less than the 2.5 Euro price commanded by the mills.
In other words, a single estate producer with a superior quality oil may receive less compensation for their output than that of the mill and its blended product.

Greek olive oil varies in taste depending on the varietal used (there are many of them – from Kalamata to Mavrelia; see sidebar), and the region in which it is grown. Many olives used to make table olives are also used to make olive oil, mostly because it is easy to make top grade olive oil from them than top grade table
olives. Some of these oils are fruitier, some grassier and some taste like artichokes on the finish. There are plenty of options to choose from. Whatever option chosen, it is a good bet that Greek olive oil purchased from a reputable source – which is easily verifiable – is the same oil the producer feeds his family.

The American market for olive oil is at least one and a half billion dollars a year, growing yearly at a rate of 10%. You would think that more enterprising importers would avoid the middlemen and build lasting relationships with oil producers. It’s not like it is difficult to ship from Greece. Chefs, importers: if you want help finding the right source for your olive oil in Greece, drop us a line. We’d be glad to help.