1x500ml Prevezana Monovarietal Organic High Phenolic Evoo

Bio Green Olive Oil are the company behind the multi-award winning Prevezana label. Their love of nature and the organic products that they grew in their garden led them to start producing organic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Their journey began making small quantities of oil using unripe olives after noticing a gap in the market. Both the site and variety of olive trees were carefully selected. Each olive tree is tended to personally, doing what comes naturally and doing what they love to do – organic farming.

Characteristics

• 100% lianolia (prevezana) organic olive
• High Polyphenols
• Cold pressed and unfiltered
• Organic

Taste and Aroma

The organic EVOO Bio Green Olive produce is known for its bright green colour, which it owes to the chlorophylls in the unripe olives that give green olive oil the most antioxidant properties an olive oil can have. It differs from typical commercial EVOO because it has a piquant/peppery flavour combined with the fruity aromas of freshly-cut unripe olives.

Green olive oil is by nature rich in antioxidants and combines a superior flavour with high organic value. Its strongest qualities are evident from the time of its production in October until July. As the time passes, green olive oil loses its strong taste and colour, but thankfully, not its nutrients.

Production

Olives are collected by hand in the same traditional way, meaning that only the healthy fruits are selected. This process involves the whole Bio Green Olive Oil family. Harvest season runs from late September to mid-October and the olives are processed on the same day. In this way, excellent quality is achieved but quantity is lost as the yield is usually no higher than 7 – 10%, thus affecting the sale price of the product. Due to the high content of polyphenols the EVOO also has a longer shelf life meaning consumers have 18 months to enjoy this unripe side of life!

Bio Green Olive Oil believe that the production of quality olive oil depends on a number of important factors. One being the transport of the fruit in approved containers suitable for foodstuffs (such as specially made crates of unrecycled plastic or jute sacks) which allow the fruit to be sufficiently aired during transportation to the mill. Another equally important factor they consider is the amount of time that passes between harvesting and the actual cold extraction (in temperatures that do not exceed 27° C) performed in a certified mill.

The olive oil is then collected in privately-owned stainless-steel tanks with a conical bottom in a specially insulated indoor area and undergoes strict scientific controls.

Controls are carried out based on the specifications set by the European regulation on olive oil and on the basis of the personal high standards Bio Green Olive Oil have set for themselves. Thus, with their strict criteria they have obtained certification from the BIO HELLAS organic product certification institute, in accordance with European regulation GR–BIO–03.

The oil is then transferred through a fully stainless-steel network for bottling, without any chemical or other treatment. The EVOO produced is a completely natural product that reaches consumers in the exact same state as when it left the olive press -without any further treatment or additives. The controls serve to guarantee the purity of the oil. Bio Green Olive Oil standardization procedures are accredited by ISO 9001 and ISO 22000. The olive press used to produce the oil is also certified for the organic production of olive oil by the BIO Hellas organic product certification body, as well as for the standardization of olive oil by the same certification body. Further tests on the olive oil are carried out at a quality control laboratory, which is accredited by ISO 17025.

Health Benefits

Prevezana Monovarietal Organic EVOO contains all the beneficial vitamins and provitamins found in olive oil (A, K, E, B-carotene), as well as minerals, trace elements and polyphenols. Historically, olive oil has been an integral part of the Mediterranean tradition and diet. Consumption of extra virgin olive oil is associated with increased life expectancy as it contains high levels of phenols, tocopherols and phytosterols. EVOO has been the subject of many scientific studies and research in recent years. The presence of polyphenols such as, oleocanthal (a potent antioxidant in plants) has been linked to a number of health benefits, including decreasing inflammation, regulating blood sugar levels and potentially reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Olive oil is also an example of a heart-healthy fat source, consisting primarily of monounsaturated fatty acids. A review by the American Heart Association has shown that replacing saturated fats (such as those found in butter, lard, and coconut oil) with monounsaturated fats (such as those found in olive oil) is linked with a significantly lower risk of heart disease. Prevezana Monovarietal Organic EVOO is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that help lower ‘bad cholesterol’ (LDL) and offer a good ratio between HDL (‘good cholesterol’) and LDL (‘bad cholesterol’) cholesterol.

More information about polyphenols can be found here.

More to the Gourmet Story…

It is certainly not by chance that the Venetians chose Preveza 300 years ago to create the well-known historical Venetian Olive Grove of Preveza. They were obviously well aware of the unique microclimate of the Preveza peninsula with its mild winters and cool summers meaning that the olive oil derived from the olive trees has not only a unique flavour and aroma but a high nutritional value.

Awards and Features

Find all Bio Green Olive Oil’s awards here.