Olive oil tasting under the shade of olive trees

Rethymno, Crete

3 h

Private Groups

English / French

Food Pairing

80 € per person

For most of us the olive tree and olive oil is connected with ancient Greek myths, biblical history and the Olympic games.
For me, olive oil is a unique experience that captures all senses.
“Oliving” tasting takes place beside ancient olive trees, in a field uninterrupted by human presence for centuries.

Testimonials

Wonderful experience

WOW! As a US citizen, I don' know much about olive oil. In fact, did not anticipate much from this experience in terms of flavor differences. I couldn't have been more wrong! The differences in olive oil smells/taste was astounding. Got more out of this tasting than the wine tasting we did in Santorini. A must do for everyone!

Aspassia made the experience absolutely wonderful. I had some reservations about an olive oil tasting, as I was invited by someone else to participate and wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out fantastic thanks to the expertise and amazing attitude of Aspassia.

This olive oil tasting was our favorite experience during our time on Crete. It was pure delight to walk through the ancient olive grove while listening to some of the history, process, and stories around olive oil production, then finally to sit down at a beautifully set table under one of the trees for the tasting portion (complemented by delicious veggie-forward food). Aspassia is a wealth of knowledge and such a warm personality. We appreciated having this facilitated experience that encouraged us to really pay attention to the nuances of something we've gotten used to consuming everyday as part of our diet. We booked a private tour for three and it was nice having done this with an intimate group. We would wholeheartedly recommend it to any of our family and friends visiting Crete in the future!

This was such a cool experience!! My friend and I were looking for something cultural and unique to do on the island, and Aspassia’s olive oil tour was exactly that. We learned about the history of olive oil in Crete and the different processes for extracting it from the trees. There was also some light Greek mythology woven in which was so very enjoyable. The tasting itself was especially wonderful because it progressed in stages - using smell first, pure taste second, then finally pairings of the olive oil with different meals Aspassia prepared. It was such a sweet experience and Aspassia is a great conversationalist. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for something fun and unique to do on the island!!

We had a magical night in the olive grove with Aspassia learning all about olive oil in Crete. The trees in this grove are extra special (I won't say more!) and we tried four different local olive oils. We had a tasty four course meal (with olive oil of course) and watched the sunset. We were joined by the sheep and some local cats too. I would definitely recommend this special experience!

Magnifique découverte dans ce lieu magique, nous avons eu la chance d’avoir une visite privée avec mon fils de 24 ans. Présentation captivante, champ de vieux oliviers magnifique, dégustation d’huile et de produits régionaux, bien mangé, le cerveau et le ventre ont été comblés. L’hôte est super Merci pour cette magnifique visite

Super time outside Reythemno. Aspassia is an olive oil expert and the location is serene. Be sure to come hungry as well as there is plenty of food for the pairings. I left knowing much more about olive oil and how to properly taste it!

Wonderful experience, great food.

A must-do in Crete! extremely easy to get to via bus. A truly intimate and magical Cretan experience. I felt right at home.

keine Worte nötig. Einfach nur magisch

We had such a great time. From the moment we booked, Aspassia was easy to get in touch with. She was incredibly kind and knowledgeable about olive oil and it’s history. The food pairings were very generous (and delicious!) and really highlighted the olive oils we tasted. I would highly recommend this experience :)

This experience was a highlight of my time in Crete. I learned about the history of olive oil and current olive oil production. I enjoyed being in the olive grove, listening to the cicadas and feeling the breeze. Aspassia was the perfect host! I expected to sample olive oils, but I was delighted by Aspassia’s encouragement to play with them when pairing with different foods. This experience was fun, educational, and enjoyable all around. I definitely recommend it!

I had high expectations for this experience and the reality far exceeded even my high expectations. I've literally never been on an experience better than this. Aspassia has such amazing knowledge and passion for olive oil and Greek culture. The amount of planning and details of so many special touches is absolutely incredible. If there's any chance for you to do this you should without hesitation.

Our Olive Oil tasting with Aspassia was without doubt the highlight of our holiday. The olive grove is beautiful and peaceful and the tasting set up and food was magical and so spoke to the local culture. We ended up spending a very pleasant afternoon chatting, learning about the olives and tasting the various oils and dishes. Aspassia is a very warm, friendly and relaxed host. We did not feel at all rushed and it was just lovely to while away time in the beautiful olive groves. I cannot recommend this more highly if you enjoy beauty and culture.

This tour was both educational and romantic. Located in an old growth Olive tree orchard a beautiful setting with sheep, a few goats, a peacock, and of course an ever watching cat. We learned about the olive trees, the olive harvest, olive oil grading, tasting and pairing with a lite multi course Greek meal. It was a wonderful experience that I would recommend

Aspassia is a wealth of knowledge! We reheat enjoyed our olive oil tour and she made it so personable and we learned so much! Definitely worth your time!!!!

A really different experience. Aspassia made it with her calm and soothing narrative, tempting us to try new ways with olive oil. A lovely way to understand a little more of the Cretan culture

A lovely time spent with Aspassia as she guided us through the history of olive trees, the varieties of trees on Crete, production techniques and the art of differentiating both aroma and taste . Finally we tested the oils with delicious food pairings .

it was a decelerating & magical place in the midst of the imposing olive trees. Aspassia was very warm and fantastically organized. We learned a lot of new things from Aspassia. The different olive oils as well as the tasting menu were great. This Cretan experience at Aspassis is highly recommended!

Wonderful and absolutely unique experience - the place is magical and the tasting was very insightful.

very friendly guide, good explanations, delicious food.

Beautiful setting with expert knowledge on olive oil. Highly recommend

Großartig, interessant, informativ, sehr gut schmeckend, freundlich, wunderbares Ambiente. Vielen Dank wir empfehlen zu 100 prozent.

This was an incredible experience and we all learned a lot about olives and olive oil! Aspassia was amazing and we had excellent food to accompany. The location of the olive grove and sheep made for a very peaceful experience!

Perfect!! Aspassia was such a nice guide and we learned a lot about the production and the differences between the olive oils. The tour started with a tour on the olive tree farm and we had luck to see also the harvest. The farm is very traditional and we had a great and very private experience there. The tasting afterwards and little lunch was also very interesting and we learned a lot about the different types. We can really recommend this tour. Thank you Aspassia for this nice day!

This meal was one of the highlights of our trip to Crete. Sitting in a family owned olive grove, we were introduced to the flavors and recipes of the healthiest food culture in the world with authenticity and heart. Will recommend to everyone in the area.

Such a beautiful setting and loved learning & tasting different olive oils.

This was an amazing experience. Aspassia, our hostess, was a delightful, friendly and experienced lady. She explained all about the different kinds of olive oil and had us sample a few. This was then followed by wonderful Cretan plates to sample with the different oils. We went back home to check all the information on our current olive oil bottles :) I would definitely recommend this activity to anyone who is looking for a nice, relaxing afternoon in an olive grove.

Great and informative evening with Aspassia. You can feel she's doing it with a lot of passion and loves to share her passion and knowledge with others. We loved the food and how she explained the tasting. Beautiful location as well. We can recommend the tasting for people interested in food, nutrition and the history of olive oil in Greece.

Vielen Dank! Es war ein wunderbarer Abend in sehr schöner Umgebung. Wir haben viel Neues über die verschiedenen Olivenöle und deren Herstellung erfahren. Das Essen war super!

Christoph (Germany) | Super freundlich, super sympathische Führung mit vielen Information! Daran anschließend die Verkostung im Schatten von Olivenbäumen. Unbedingt zu empfehlen.

Super interessante und lehrreiche Erfahrung. Wir haben sehr viel über Olivenöl und die kretische Kultur gelernt. Es wurden mehrere Öle verkostet mit passenden kleinen Gerichten dazu und man konnte den Einfluß der Öle auf den Geschmack der Lebensmittel gut erkennen. Wir wurden mit großer Leidenschaft und viel Erfahrung durch den Abend geführt und hatten die Erfahrung ganz für uns alleine. Das Ambiente unter den alten Olivenbäumen und umgeben von Schafen und Ziegen war einfach umwerfend. Hier dürfen wir einen malerischen Sonnenuntergang erleben den wir so bald nicht vergessen werden. Auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert für Kulturinteressierte mit gutem Geschmack!

This is a wonderful experience. You can feel the passion for tradition and the world of Olive oil that Aspassia has. We really felt welcome, she prepared an amazing tasting in the middle of a wonderful orchard. We had fun and at the same time the tasting was really informative and interesting. Aspassia has deep knowledge and she can give answers to every question. We had an amazing time with her! I recommend this experience 100%

We had a great time with Aspassia! Location was magical and enchanting, the information was so educational, and Oliver the cat was the other star of the show! Aspassia is a great host with a lot of knowledge and passion for the subject, and we are so glad to have made an hour drive from Chania to visit her orchard. Highly recommend if you are into food, nature, and experiences.

We enjoyed the time at an beautiful, old olive grove. We learned a lot about Olive trees and Olive oil. Aspassia was a great host and brought different olive oils to taste and very delicious food.

This was a lovely experience while in Crete. The surrounding area was beautiful and tranquil, the food was delicious, Aspassia was very knowledgeable. A great little day trip while on holiday!

This is an amazing experience!! The location! The food! The detailed insight into the history of Olives, the tradition, the use over time and the tasting was really cool. The little plates were prepared with amazing attention to detail with the flavor combinations and the locality of the ingredients.

Superbe expérience de dégustation en plein milieu d’une oliveraie centenaire. Aspassia est amoureuse de son terroir et de ses oliviers et cela se ressent à travers ses explications. Nous recommandons !

This experience was one of our favourite parts of our 3 week holiday. The setting alone will take your breath away and our host was someone we connected with very easily. We learned a lot about olive oil and the food pairing was excellent. If you’re looking to have a authentic Cretean experience, off the tourist path and in a fairytale setting this is for you.

Wonderful experience in an ancient olive Grove. Great history and science of the olives and pressing. Tasty pairings with oil oil to try. Aspassia was very welcoming. Beautiful location.

This is a must for anyone in the Rethymno area; Aspassia gave us the most wonderful experience, delicious food, great knowledge and newfound appreciation for olive oil.

Aspassia was such a warm and knowledgeable host! This tour is a totally unique and intimate experience. I recommend it to anyone with a passion for food and olives!!

What an amazing evening we had with Aspassia in the olive grove. The location is amazing beyond words and we had so much fun. We learned, tasted, enjoyed. Very intimite, very friendly, very highly recommended.

We enjoyed the beautiful ancient olive grove. Aspassia was knowledgeable and very personable. The tasting was well structured and the Cretan food dishes were delicious. Would highly recommend the experience!

Truly a magical experience and Aspassia is a wonderful host/ person. We have a toddler so we booked a private experience and she was so patient and just overall great with our daughter. It felt like we were having lunch with an old friend. thanks for everything Aspassia!

Nous avons passé ,une soirée exceptionnelle dans une magnifique oliveraie , un agréable moment en compagnie d’Aspassia qui nous a merveilleusement bien accueilli. Un Grand Merci pour cette échange très enrichissant sur l’histoire de l’huile d’olive ainsi que l’organisation de la dégustation très instructive avec de délicieux mets traditionnels Crétois.

This was a wonderful experience that deepened our appreciation for good olive oil and what it means to the island of Crete. The food was also excellent. Highly recommended!

Aspassia did an amazing job. The place of the tasting was amazing. The stories were interesting. The food was delicious. It was a lovely experience and not just a typical touristy experience!

Aspassia was a very lovely host with great knowledge about olives, olive trees and olive oil. She took us to a beautiful olive grove where she prepared a beautiful table for the tasting. The sunset was definitely a highlight. We had a lovely time and highly recommend this experience! :)

The tasting was a great experience with a terrific host. Aspassia took a lot of time to explain everything around olives and their processing and to answer all our questions. The food was excellent and there was more than enough for everyone. Last but not least, the venue was beautiful. I can highly recommend this event!

Quelle belle expérience Aspassia, merci beaucoup. Cette très ancienne oliveraie, calme et apaisante avec des arbres probablement millénaires, ensuite le partage de vos connaissances sur la culture de l’olivier, les variétés, la production de l’huile et enfin l’initiation à la dégustation de votre sélection d’huiles crétoises de caractère ! Tout cela dans une agréable ambiance, détendue et raffinée. Un très bon souvenir pour nous. Merci beaucoup.

Our host, Aspassia was fantastic! We learned all about the history of olive oil making and olive trees grown in Crete. The food was very delicious!

A very instructive and lovingly tasting of various olive oils and small dishes. You learn a lot about olives, olive trees and olive oils and you immediately notice how important the olive as such is for the Cretans and their history. Aspassia is very personable and communicates her knowledge in a very entertaining way. It was a wonderful time in the olive grove.

Relaxed olive oil tasting among the trees and sunset. As someone with little to no experience with olive oil tasting it opens up your vision for the difference in all kinds of olive oil. The history of olives and olive oil through Crete was fascinating and you got a better understanding of it. We got to taste the olive oil in different settings with different Cretan cuisine. The host was kind and really interested in your opinions and thoughts. This experience is a must to do in Crete.

It was a very interesting experience which broadened my view on olive oil and it's very different tastes. Also the typical Creten food we tried with the different oil was very good. What a difference olive oil can make to a dish

Tout est parfait dans cette expérience : l'accueil, le lieu, la découverte et la dégustation de l'huile d'olive, le repas... Aspassia est extrêmement sympathique et prend le temps de faire partager sa passion. Une autre façon de découvrir la Crête et l'un des moments forts de notre séjour.

Excellente dégustation de différentes huiles d’olives, dans un cadre exceptionnel, sous de vieux oliviers. Aspassia est une passionnée et arrive a nous transmettre très rapidement l’envie de mieux connaître la culture des oliviers, la cueillette des olives, le pressage et la dégustation. Très belle expérience, n’hésitez pas, c’est super

C’était une dernière étape sur le chemin de l’aéroport, avant de retrouver le Covid, et après un séjour bien rempli en crête. La pluie menaçait depuis le matin et en repoussant un peu l’heure, ce qu’avait gentiment accepté Aspassia, nous avions décidé de maintenir la dégustation. Heureuse décision. Nous n’avons plus pensé à la météo, impossible dans cette plantation millénaire, hors du temps, et totalement plongés dans les saveurs, les odeurs et les mots d’Aspassia dans son charmant Français. Quelques heures de qualité, à l’écart, même du rythme des vacances.

Me and my husband had an amazing afternoon with the lovely Aspassia in the Olive Hain. Great experience which we really can recommend. The story, the olive oil tasting, the food, the atmosphere, everything was perfect. Thank you so much for this great experience dear Aspassaia

Aspassia showed us the olive oil creation process from shaking the olives off the trees to transporting and pressing them. And we got to taste the freshest EVER olive oil. Very personable and wonderfully down to earth. We had a picnic in olive grove with variety of awesome Cretan healthy food. It is a lifetime experience!

Quelle joie de découvrir le processus de la fabrication de l'huile d'olive, depuis la récolte jusqu'au pressoir. Aspassia a adapté l'expérience proposée en fonction de la saison (fin octobre). Ce qui nous a permis de rencontrer un producteur local et de tester la gaule. Amusant et enrichissant!

Expérience merveilleuse. On a découvert une nouvelle facette de cette belle île de Crête. Aspassia n’a pas dérogé à l’hospitalité crétoise : accueil et chaleur. Dans un lieu magique, plein de surprises ont rythmé cette expérience et la dégustation fut très intéressante. Nous recommandons ce chouette moment pour ceux qui souhaitent sortir des sentiers battus et des visites standardisées. C’est une belle rencontre que nous garderons parmi nos plus beaux souvenirs sur cette île.

Aspassia a su nous transmettre sa passion de sa région natale presque immédiatement en nous comptant l’histoire de la vallée. S’ensuivit une dégustation d’huiles d’olives, toutes surprenantes et parfumées. Et nous avons découvert des mets traditionnels se mariant parfaitement avec l’atmosphère des oliviers ancestraux qui nous entouraient. Je recommande chaudement cette expérience. Merci encore Aspassia (de nous quatre) !

It was a fantastic experience for us. Aspassia is very friendly and helpful. We have learned a lot about the history, the background and the present about the production of olive oil in Crete. The place of tasting in the middle of the olive trees is a wonderful place. The event in small groups is very good, creating a family atmosphere. Aspassia took a lot of time to explain our requests and gave us some great tips for activities during our holiday in Crete.

Olive oil tasting with Aspassia was definitely the highlight of our time in Crete! She had a great understanding of the subject, which she enthusiastically shared with us in the stunning setting of a beautiful olive grove with trees up to 2,000 years old. She paired the oils with lovely local food and perfectly catering to our special dietary requests. Our experience felt very special, and we came away with both a deeper knowledge of the history and production of olive oil in Crete and a sense of having connected with the history and traditions of the island in a very meaningful way. Thank you!

Nous avons eu la chance d'être seuls avec Aspassia, on a découvert un autre univers en Crête ! Aspassia à su nous montrer toute l'importance de l'olive culturellement et de gustativement parlant ! Je recommande les yeux fermés, merci Aspassia :)

A really unique and authentic experience. Aspassia was an excellent host, she created a very special athmosphere for us and didn't mind any effort in order to make this an extraordinary event.

Lovely environment and perfect experience. I highly recommend!

Très belle expérience. Dans une oliveraie centenaire. Bonne dégustation d’huiles.

Merci aspassia pour cette belle expérience unique. L'immersion dans les oliviers nous a fait voyager dans la culture crétoise !

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