Olive Oil Tasting from Corfu Old Town

Corfu sits under four million olive trees. Most of them were planted under Venetian rule — the Republic paid Corfiot farmers a gold coin for every hundred new trees, and the policy stuck. Five hundred years later, the oldest of those trees are still producing, and the oil they yield is arguably the best edible thing you can take home from the island.

Staying in the Old Town, the question is: how do you actually taste the stuff, and where do you buy it properly? Here is what works, from our apartment base.

From the apartment: you don't need to leave Corfu Town to taste good olive oil. There are serious producers represented at the old market and at specialist shops within a ten-minute walk. The full farm-visit experience requires a drive inland, but you can start and end with tastings you can walk to.

The Lianolia Variety

Corfu's signature oil comes from the Lianolia cultivar, grown almost exclusively on the island. Corfu's wetter climate compared to Crete or the Peloponnese gives the oil a gentler, more buttery character — notes of fresh grass, green almond, a mild peppery finish. It's a versatile oil rather than a fierce one.

If you've tried Koroneiki from southern Crete, Lianolia will taste more subtle. Both are excellent — they're just built for different dishes.

In the Old Town: What to Do Without a Car

The Old Market (Δημοτική Αγορά)

A covered market at the edge of the Old Town, 8 minutes from our apartment. Several stalls sell oil from named Corfiot producers — ask specifically for Lianolia and this year's harvest. Prices are reasonable and you can taste before you buy. The stallholders know their suppliers personally.

8 min walk from Oikia 4

Specialist Gourmet Shops

There are two or three small shops on Filarmonikis and around the Liston that focus on Corfu food products — oil, olives, kumquat preserves, local wines. More curated than the market, slightly higher prices, but good bottles and helpful staff who will guide you through a tasting.

4–6 min walk

Kumquat & Olive Shops

Mixed-product shops on the Liston and in the kantounia sell Corfu gift sets — typically a bottle of extra virgin plus jars of kumquat liqueur, spoon sweets and olive soap. Good for presents. Check that the oil has a named producer and harvest year; skip anything generic.

Various, within 5 min

The Full Farm Experience (Worth the Drive)

For a proper tasting — groves, mill, guided comparison — you'll need to go inland. Worth renting a car for a morning.

The Governor Olive Mill (Agii Deka)

35-minute drive south-west of the Old Town. Award-winning producer, 2–3 hour structured experience with grove walk, mill tour and guided tasting. The quality benchmark — this is the one to do if you only do one.

35 min drive

Mavroudis Olive Press Museum

Near Skripero village, 45-minute drive. A family-run press turned small museum, with traditional stone millstones alongside the modern equipment. Less polished but more intimate than the Governor.

45 min drive

Small-Group Tours

Several operators run 3–4 hour tours with hotel pick-up from the Old Town, a visit to one or two producers, and structured tastings. Good if you don't want to drive yourself. Ask us for a current recommendation.

How a Tasting Works

Same protocol as wine tasting. Warm the oil in your palm, inhale (looking for grass, green almond, tomato leaf), then take a small sip while drawing air in through your teeth. Good extra virgin delivers three sensations in order: fruity on the front of the palate, bitter on the back of the tongue, peppery in the throat.

The best tastings include a comparison between a premium extra virgin and a refined commercial oil. The gap is vast and educational.

The Harvest Season (November – February)

If you happen to visit in winter, the mills are running non-stop. You can taste agourelaio, the first oil of the season — cloudy, green, intensely flavoured, straight from the press. It's a genuine olive-oil pilgrimage experience, and December is the peak. Worth timing a winter visit around.

Buying Guide

Look for: "extra virgin" grade, a named Corfiot producer, Lianolia on the label, harvest year, acidity 0.2–0.4% (lower is better).
Skip: generic "Greek olive oil", no origin, no date, no producer name, or bottles that have been sitting under bright light for months.

Taking It Home

Olive oil is legal in checked luggage, not in hand luggage. Metal tins are lighter and safer than glass — most serious producers offer 500ml and 1L tins. For larger quantities, producers often ship directly to your home. Store your oil in a cool dark place and use it within a year of harvest.

Town Tip

Don't drink coffee, eat strong cheese or wear perfume for an hour before a tasting — they'll all blunt your palate. And drink plain water between oils. If you're tasting at the market on a hot day, do it as early in the morning as possible, before the place gets busy.

Cooking in the Apartment

Guests who buy a premium oil often use it in our kitchen — finishing a caprese, dipping bread, dressing a warm octopus. It ruins you for anything else. The two-bottle system (premium for finishing, everyday oil for cooking) is the right instinct.

If You Want Wheels for the Farm Day

★ Rent a Car with Herbie

Herbie delivers a car to our apartment and collects it when you're done. A small car handles the inland roads and village parking easily.

Book a car

Stay in the Old Town

Oikia 4 puts you within a short walk of the old market, specialist shops and the Liston. Our welcome book marks our favourite shops for oil, kumquat and local food products.

Olive Oil Tasting from the Old Town