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Who is the Sideris family? That’s a really important question because the answer begins 4,000 years ago. Our Spartan ancestors literally lived in our valley near Vordonia: Learning how to turn our fertile lands into a rich home for many crops.
Our vision started with them. Having protected the land, they learned by growing figs, oranges, wheat, and of course olives. In our Vordonia hillside they had discovered a perfect match of microclimate, soil, and the Athenolia olive tree. And we have adopted and continued the ancient Spartan Artisinal ways until this day.
Tradition means everything to us: We carry Vordonia and the village ways where we live and the way we live. We have important traditions dating back to those Spartans in our community, family, and work
I am Michael Theodore Sideris and with the help of my mom Angeleki and support of my two brothers George and Panagioti and their families, I oversee our annual olive harvest and oil production. When I am not tending to our olives, I am a self-taught artist. I paint the people and landscapes you see on our website and on the olive oil box.
My fascination with our unique oil began as a five-year old accompanying my parents, Theodore and Angeliki, to the olive fields. I remember my father would place my brother George and me on the plow for added weight.
Now, with Theodore gone, I am the only olive-oil artisan harvesting a single-varietal, extra-virgin olive oil from trees dating back 4,000 years to ancient Sparta. These are not similar trees; they are the same trees and all siblings cut from the original 4,000 year-old Athenolia trees. And, like the Spartan warriors, I have remained steadfast to the lifelong traditions of olive-oil production that centers around our Ancient Athenolia trees. These trees sustained the city people of Sparta during WW II suffering from starvation who came to Vordonia for a little bread and olive oil. They have sustained Leonidas and the three hundred Spartans who fought the Battle of Thermopylae (Hot gates), Agesilao who fought the Battle of Platea and sustained Lykourgos, the law-giver of Sparta who is quoted as saying, “I don’t like perfumes because I can’t smell the olive oil on the body.” That quote is proof-positive that the Spartans harvested olive oil and from the very same trees that I harvest today.
Truly, the village has a touch of magic which we will try to bring to life for you in our website and try, believe it or not, for you to imagine in our oil. Our Athenolia extra virgin olive oil has so much life that we have to be careful: fill the bottles too full and the corks blow off!!!
It takes people to keep this kind of magic alive. Alice Waters, famous Artisinal chef, believes that nourishment jumps to life from crops raised carefully by hand, by connection to soil and ancient ways.
As I travel back to Vordonia, I watch it shrink year by year. The youth have abandoned Vordonia for more secure work in Sparta; foreigners have begun to come in to do the hardest work. All of the villagers have planted other olive varietals that are easier to maintain. But our family has kept our ancient groves, and carefully maintained and pruned and grafted the original trees. We have stayed true to our traditions and my father’s vision.
Each year I offer a Limited Edition 1,000 to 1500 bottles of the finest extra virgin olive oil in the world. Once you have tried the rich flavor of Vordonia Athenolia Extra-Virginia Olive Oil, you will have tasted olive oil for the first time in your life. Most importantly of all, the purity in the “mouth feel,” the exceptional, pure, clean, smooth flavor and aroma will win your hearts and minds.
“The best of the best” and “the purest of the pure” aren’t slogans for us: they are our life. We literally bring you “The Naked Taste of Olives”. The oil you taste from us brings you those thousands of years and our continuing traditions. The traditions give you an unheard of eight-year shelf life and the same, original delicious flavor and aroma again and again.
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