99% of Sopato is sold only through my webshop. I am not in supermarkets in Greece or outside, because I am a small farmer with limited production and I prefer to sell directly. This way you get the oil fresh from me. In summer you can also find Sopato at the bakery in Tourloti and in a small shop in Mochlos. But the main place to buy is always the webshop.

Sopato is certified organic and comes from the PDO region of Sitia in eastern Crete. This means the oil follows strict rules, from how we take care of the trees until the bottling. The land here is unique, between mountains and sea, and this gives the oil strong taste and high quality. It is not only Cretan olive oil, it is oil with official protection and certification, so you know you are buying it directly from George.

PDO means Protected Designation of Origin. It is an official European certification that protects traditional products from a certain place. For olive oil it means the oil must come only from the trees, the land, and the mills inside this area, and it must follow very strict rules for quality. It also protects against mixing or fake origin, so you know the oil is truly from where it says. Sopato is part of the PDO of Sitia in eastern Crete, which is one of the most respected olive oil regions in the world. This makes the oil not only Cretan, but also officially recognized and guaranteed by the European Union.

Not all olive oil is organic. Many farmers use chemicals in the fields, for example against weeds or insects, or to make the trees produce more. Certified Organic (Bio) means the trees and the land are cared for without synthetic chemicals or pesticides, and every step is checked by official inspectors. In the European Union, the rules for organic certification are very strict and the fields and production are inspected every year. Sopato is certified organic, so you know exactly what you are buying is clean and natural, not just by words but with real certification.

In the Cretan dialect, Sopato means flat. I chose this name because my fields are the opposite of flat. They are steep, and when we harvest the olives, sometimes they roll down the hill and we must catch them. It is a small joke with the land, but also it makes the name easy to remember.

Sopato is produced in eastern Crete, in the PDO region of Sitia. The olive trees grow on slopes between the mountains and the sea, in a landscape that is beautiful but also hard for working. The oil is milled here locally, close to the fields, and then packed in cans so it can travel fresh from Crete to your home. The PDO of Sitia is internationally recognized as one of the top olive oil regions in the world, so when you taste Sopato you know it comes from a place with true tradition and quality.

Yes, Sopato is certified organic, certified extra virgin, and also protected under the PDO of Sitia in eastern Crete. This means no illegal chemicals are used in the fields, and the oil is tested under strict rules for quality, taste, and acidity. With Sopato you know it is clean, natural, and officially recognized as one of the best olive oils in the world.

Good extra virgin olive oil can last about 18 to 24 months after pressing if you keep it in the right way. It should be stored in a cool and dark place, away from heat and sun. Sopato is packed in cans, which protect the oil better than glass from light and air, so it stays fresh longer. On every can you can see the harvest date, so you always know how fresh your Sopato is.

Olive oil does not like heat, light, or air. The best is to keep it in a cool and dark place, not close to the oven or the sun. Sopato comes in cans, so the oil is already well protected from light and air. After you open the can, close it good and use it within a few months for the best taste. Do not put olive oil in the fridge, because it will become cloudy and lose part of its aroma.

In Crete the harvest usually starts around late October and goes until December, sometimes even into January depending on the weather and the altitude. On the mainland of Greece it often starts earlier, because the autumn rains come sooner. In Crete the rain arrives later, so the harvest also begins later. This is good for the olives. For Sopato we do early harvest in October and November, when the olives are still green and full of polyphenols. This makes the oil stronger in taste and higher in quality.

We harvest the olives by hand, using small tools and nets, because the fields are on steep slopes and machines cannot enter. The olives are collected and taken the same day to the local mill. Milling the same day is very important, because the olives stay fresh and do not lose their quality. At the mill they are cold pressed under strict conditions for the PDO of Sitia. Everything is done in a simple way, close to the fields, so the oil stays fresh and clean from the tree until it reaches your home.

Eastern Crete has a special climate, with mountains and sea very close together. The soil is rocky, the land is steep, and the rain comes later than in the mainland. This makes the olives grow slow and strong, with high quality oil. The PDO of Sitia is known around the world for producing some of the best olive oils, with many international awards. The area is also part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, which protects the natural environment and shows how unique this land is. The taste of the oil is fruity, a little bitter, and with the peppery feeling in the throat that shows it is rich in polyphenols.

We use cans because they protect the olive oil better from light and air than glass bottles. This keeps the oil fresh for longer. Cans are also lighter and safer to ship, so they travel from Crete to your home without breaking. They are fully recyclable and need less energy for transport, which makes them more sustainable. And with Sopato, the can is also part of the story, because it carries the design with my face, so you know exactly where your oil comes from.

Sopato has a fresh and fruity taste, with a little bitterness and the peppery feeling in the throat that shows it is rich in polyphenols. It is strong but also balanced, with aromas of green grass and herbs from the Cretan land. This is the taste of early harvest oil from the PDO of Sitia, and it is very different from a neutral supermarket oil.

You can use Sopato for everything. It is perfect raw on salad, bread or vegetables, but also good for cooking. In Crete we cook always with extra virgin olive oil, even frying. The important thing is not to burn the oil, but for normal cooking and baking it is very healthy and gives great taste. Scientific studies show that extra virgin olive oil keeps most of its health benefits even when heated, so you do not lose the good things when you cook with it.

Extra virgin olive oil is a natural source of healthy fats and antioxidants. In the European Union it is officially recognized that olive oil polyphenols help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress, when the oil contains at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g of oil. This health claim is approved under Regulation (EU) 432/2012. Sopato is early harvest and organic, which means it is naturally rich in these polyphenols, the same compounds that give the oil its peppery taste. Olive oil is also a key part of the traditional Mediterranean diet, which is well known around the world for supporting a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

That peppery burn you feel is from the polyphenols in the olive oil. These are natural antioxidants, and they give the oil both health value and strong taste. Early harvest oils like Sopato have more polyphenols, so the taste is more bitter and spicy, and you feel it in the throat. It is not a mistake or a problem, it is a sign of high quality extra virgin olive oil.

We ship with DHL to most countries in the world. Shipping is free inside the European Union. If your country is not in the list at checkout, you can contact us and we will check if we can add it for you. Please see our shipping policy for more details.

Because Sopato ships from a small island in Crete, delivery usually takes 10 to 15 working days. Sometimes it can be faster, sometimes a little longer, depending on DHL and customs in your country. After we send your order, you will receive a tracking number so you can follow the package until it arrives. Please check our shipping policy for more detailed information.

Inside the European Union, shipping with DHL is free. If you are outside the EU, the shipping cost is calculated at checkout based on the weight and quantity of your order. The price comes directly from DHL. To see the cost, just add the items you want to buy, go to checkout, enter your delivery address, and the shipping cost will be displayed.

Yes, we offer special bundles in our shop, for example with cans of Sopato together with stone bottles. These make nice gifts and are also good if you want to buy a little more at once. From time to time we also prepare seasonal offers. You can find all bundles directly in the shop.

I am George, I live in a small village in eastern Crete where Sopato olive oil is produced. I take care of the olive fields and the harvest together with friends and local people. My face is on the can so you know exactly who stands behind the oil you are buying. Sopato is not a big factory product, it comes directly from a real farmer and the land here.

There is not one single farm, but multiple fields spread across the Sitia Geopark region, mainly around my village and a few further to the east. At the moment we do not offer farm visits or tours, because the fields are on steep slopes and the work is hard and not easy for visitors. Usually in summer it is more quiet, but from October until April it is the very busy season with harvest and preparing the trees for the next year. If you come to eastern Crete in summer and pass by my village, you are welcome to say hello and have a coffee with me. Maybe in the future we can also make small visits for friends of Sopato.

The dog on the can is not mine, but he belongs to friends of mine in the village. Every time I come, he runs to me and gets very excited. We are good friends, and he is sometimes around in the fields. I once also had a dog which I loved very much, so for me it feels natural to have him as part of Sopato. He shows the simple, real life here, and that is why we put him on the can together with me.

On the side of every Sopato can there is a small sticker with a QR code. If you scan it with your phone, it takes you directly to our Google page where you can write a review. You can also search for “Sopato Olive Oil” on Google and leave your review there. Every review helps us grow and means a lot to us.