Mykonos Olive Oil Tasting: Learn from a World-Famous Expert

Taste Greek olive oils the way an expert does, not the way a bottle label tells you to.

A two-hour olive oil tasting workshop on Mykonos led by Anita Zachou, an international olive oil judge and the first to bring tastings to the island. You'll taste five award-winning extra virgin olive oils from across Greece, learn to spot defects, and discover how to pair oils with food. The class overlooks Sacred Delos Island and includes food pairing snacks. Afterward, you can swim at nearby Agios Ioannis beach.

The experience

Two hours is enough time to learn what separates a great olive oil from one that tastes flat or rancid. You'll taste five award-winning extra virgin olive oils from different regions of Greece, then taste three oils with deliberate defects so you can recognize what goes wrong. The workshop covers the basic principles of sensory evaluation (how to look for color, smell the volatiles, taste the bitterness and peppery notes), and what those characteristics actually mean when you're standing in a shop or cooking at home. Anita Zachou, who started these tastings in 2019 when other people on the island thought she was crazy, judges olive oils in international competitions, so the tasting follows the same method she uses there.

The tasting happens on a terrace overlooking Sacred Delos Island, the ancient birthplace of Apollo. You'll learn how to pair different olive oils with specific foods (which ones work with fish, which ones with salads, which ones finish a soup), and you'll taste that pairing in practice with Greek salad, grilled chicken, Greek yogurt and orange in small bowls. By the end, you'll understand the health and beauty benefits of Greek olive oil that go beyond the bottle's marketing copy. After the workshop ends, you can stay at the beach at Agios Ioannis, swim, and have lunch at the restaurant there (bring a swimsuit and arrange lunch separately).

What’s included

• The tasting of five award-winning extra virgin olive oils from across Greece.
• water.
• and food pairing snacks including Greek salad, grilled chicken, Greek yogurt and orange.

Information

Lasts 2h, from € 200 per person, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesNext departure: 15 May 2027

GroupUp to 15

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

AgesAdult (18 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 90 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (8 to 12 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by ANITA Z.

Is this one for you?The workshop is taught in English by an international olive oil judge, so you follow the tasting method professionals use. If you cook with olive oil at home and want to understand what you're buying instead of guessing from a label, this is where that knowledge starts.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (8 to 12 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I taste during the two hours?

You taste five award-winning extra virgin olive oils from different parts of Greece, then three oils with defects so you can learn to spot what goes wrong. The tasting follows the same sensory evaluation method used in international olive oil competitions.

What happens after the tasting ends?

You're free to stay at Agios Ioannis beach, which is nearby. You can swim and have lunch at the restaurant there. Both are optional and arranged separately from the workshop.

Is this a beginner class, or do I need to know about olive oil already?

The workshop starts with the basic principles of olive oil tasting and sensory evaluation, so no prior knowledge is required. You'll learn how to evaluate and select olive oil as an everyday cooking staple, not as a specialist.

What's included in the price?

The tasting of five extra virgin olive oils, water, and the food pairing snacks (Greek salad, grilled chicken, Greek yogurt, orange) are included. Lunch, other refreshments and alcoholic drinks are not included.