How to read this guide
For each variety we cover: producing region, whether it holds a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), the typical harvest window, whether it is used for oil, table olives or both, its sensory profile, and the export markets where it is best known. Where two names refer to the same fruit (for example Kalamon and Kalamata), we note it explicitly.
This guide is written for buyers, not for growers. It is designed to help you shortlist producers, brief packers and hold a technically fluent conversation with any Greek olive supplier.
The map of Greek olive production
For olive oil, theGreex sources exclusively from two regions: Crete and the Peloponnese. Both are dominated by the Koroneiki variety and together produce most of Greece's premium extra virgin volume. For table olives, our sourcing extends to Halkidiki (northern Greece), Amfissa (central Greece), and additional producing zones across the mainland and islands.
Koroneiki
Region: Peloponnese and Crete, with smaller plantings across the Aegean. Use: oil. PDO/PGI: contributes to several PDO and PGI oils including PDO Kalamata and PGI Crete. Harvest: mid-October to January. Taste profile: fruity, grassy, moderately peppery on the finish, high polyphenol content.
Koroneiki is the workhorse of Greek premium olive oil. Small, hardy and oil-rich, it delivers the balance of pungency and stability that international buyers associate with high-quality Greek EVOO. Best-suited for retail extra virgin, gourmet and gifting, foodservice premium pours, and private-label ranges positioned on health and polyphenol claims.
Export markets: Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Nordics, Japan, United States, GCC.
Kalamon (Kalamata)
Region: Messenia in the Peloponnese, plus Laconia and parts of central Greece. Use: table olives (also produces small volumes of oil). PDO/PGI: the name Kalamata olive is a PDO when produced in Messenia; "Kalamon" refers to the same variety grown elsewhere. Harvest: late October to December. Taste profile: dark aubergine colour, almond-shaped, firm, wine-like character, natural fermentation.
Kalamon is the single most recognisable Greek table olive globally. It works across retail (jars and vacuum pouches), foodservice (buckets and pails), and gourmet gifting. Whole, pitted, sliced and stuffed formats are all commercially available.
Export markets: universal, with particularly strong pull in Germany, the UK, the US, France, Australia and the GCC.
Halkidiki
Region: Halkidiki peninsula, northern Greece. Use: table olives (green). PDO/PGI: PDO. Harvest: September, harvested green. Taste profile: large, meaty, crisp bite, mild fruity flavour.
Halkidiki is Greece's flagship green table olive. Its size makes it a natural for stuffing (pepper, garlic, almond, cheese) and for premium retail jars. Excellent for HoReCa antipasti and delicatessen counters.
Export markets: Germany, UK, Central and Eastern Europe, US, GCC.
Amfissa
Region: Fokida, central Greece, on the plain below Delphi. Use: table olives, also oil. PDO/PGI: Konservolia Amfissis PDO. Harvest: late October to December. Taste profile: round, plump, mellow, often black or purple-black; softer than Kalamon.
Amfissa suits buyers who want a rounder, less assertive black table olive than Kalamon, especially for own-brand ranges targeting mainstream retail rather than gourmet specialty.
Export markets: EU, UK, GCC.
Throumba (Thassos)
Region: island of Thassos, Aegean. Use: table olives (naturally shrivelled). PDO/PGI: PDO Throumba Thassos. Harvest: November to January, allowed to ripen and dehydrate on the tree. Taste profile: wrinkled, intense, nutty, no brine required.
A specialty olive for gourmet retail and traditional Mediterranean assortments. Not a volume product; sold as a premium point of difference.
Export markets: Germany, France, Nordics, US specialty channels.
Manaki
Region: Peloponnese and central Greece. Use: dual-purpose (oil and table). PDO/PGI: contributes to PDO oils in several regions. Harvest: October to December. Taste profile: soft, mild oil with delicate fruitiness; as a table olive, tender and rounded.
Best used blended into single-region PDO oils or as a mild table olive for markets that find Kalamon too assertive.
Megaritiki
Region: Attica (around Megara), central Greece and Evia. Use: dual-purpose. Harvest: November to January. Taste profile: medium fruity oil, moderate pungency; as a table olive, firm and slightly bitter.
Common in Attica PDO oils and in regional table-olive assortments; rarely commercialised as a mono-variety export line.
Athinolia
Region: Peloponnese (Laconia, Messenia) and Crete. Use: dual-purpose. Harvest: November to January. Taste profile: medium-bodied oil with balanced pungency; table olive with a bright violet colour.
Often blended with Koroneiki in Peloponnese PDO oils to add complexity.
Tsounati
Region: Crete (mountain groves) and Peloponnese. Use: oil. Harvest: October to December. Taste profile: robust, grassy, peppery, high polyphenol content.
Frequently blended with Koroneiki in high-altitude Cretan oils and marketed on health claims.
Kolovi (Valanolia)
Region: island of Lesvos. Use: oil. PDO/PGI: PDO Lesvos oil. Harvest: November to February. Taste profile: sweet, mild, low bitterness, soft aromatics.
A quieter, elegant oil for buyers looking to differentiate from mainstream Cretan Koroneiki. Note: theGreex does not currently source olive oil from Lesvos; included here for completeness.
Adramytini
Region: Lesvos and North Aegean. Use: dual-purpose. Harvest: November to January. Taste profile: mild, buttery oil; table olive with a soft bite.
Regional interest; limited commercial visibility internationally.
Conservolia
Region: central Greece (Fthiotida, Magnesia, Evia). Use: table olives. PDO/PGI: several regional PDOs including Konservolia Stylidas and Konservolia Amfissis. Harvest: October to December (green) and December to January (black). Taste profile: round, plump, versatile.
The base variety behind many mainstream Greek black and green table olive lines destined for European retail private label.
How to shortlist for your programme
- Premium EVOO retail or private label, single-varietal: Koroneiki from Crete or the Peloponnese.
- PDO storytelling on the shelf: PDO Kalamata (Messenia) for oil, PDO Kalamata olive for table, PDO Halkidiki for stuffed green olives.
- Mainstream own-brand black table olives: Amfissa or Conservolia.
- Gourmet or specialty differentiator: Throumba, Kolovi (Lesvos), or high-altitude Cretan Tsounati blends.