Climate conditions, cultivation practices, crop maturation time, and olive mill type are some of the main factors that determine the flavor characteristics of an olive oil variety. In Messinia, where the “koroneiki” variety is cultivated almost exclusively, there are three climate zones, and crop harvesting takes place during various stages of maturation. This research aims to create a “flavor map” of Messinia, which will be updated yearly by incorporating the analyses of the Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Peloponnese’s Olive Oil Tasting Laboratory. This initiative is expected to benefit producers, helping them plan their cultivation practice, based on the flavor characteristics of the olive oil they wish to produce.

The aim of this study is to identify the flavor characteristics of the “koroneiki” variety across Messinia’s three different climate zones, and to connect them with the crop’s maturation stage and the type of olive mill. Moreover, the study will map out and record all the elements on a dynamic digital map, which will be uploaded to the Olive Oil Tasting Laboratory’s webpage, making it easily accessible to people involved in olive oil production.

The “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation supports this initiative, undertaken by the Technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Peloponnese’s Olive Oil Tasting Laboratory. The map and the first results are expected to be published within 2016.