Discover the tastes, scents, and secrets of Greek olive oil at Laconiko’s olive oil tasting room and educational venue in Virginia. The public is welcome to visit, sample, and learn about the award-winning, healthy Greek extra virgin olive oil and flavored olive oil this family business brings to their temperature-controlled warehouse in the USA every year.
As Laconiko co-owner Diamantis Pierrakos points out, this is “a place to connect people to our culture, to connect them to our olive oil.” In the tasting room, visitors can sample Laconiko’s flavorful, healthy high phenolic extra virgin olive oils and their wide variety of flavored olive oils, as well as a range of flavored balsamic and wine vinegars, plus fine wines and honey. The facility also includes a large classroom next to a spacious kitchen, where cooking demonstrations and a variety of courses will be offered.
“We’re going to have chefs cooking in the kitchen,” Diamantis explained. “We’re planning classes to showcase our olive oils and provide olive oil education seminars.” As a trained olive oil sommelier as well as an experienced hands-on olive farmer who works closely with an olive miller, Diamantis will lead many courses about olive oil. When he is in Greece tending to his olive groves, Laconiko will also bring in olive scientists, physicians, and other experts to teach classes on the uses, types, and benefits of olive oil.
Laconiko’s Olive Oil Training Events and Cooking Classes
This began in the spring, when they organized a free two-day training event for their wholesale purchasers at Laconiko’s olive oil tasting room. Olive oil producers shared their stories and explained how they make their olive oil. Greek scientists from the World Olive Center for Health and the University of Athens explained the health benefits of high phenolic extra virgin olive oil like Laconiko’s. Dr. Simon Poole discussed the central role of olive oil in the famously healthy Mediterranean diet. UC Davis Olive Center founding director Dan Flynn and writer and olive oil sommelier Emily Lycopoulos also gave presentations. Laconiko’s wholesalers can now share all of this knowledge with their customers.
Looking ahead, cooking classes with professional chefs will be an important part of Laconiko’s educational mission. Diamantis is excited that “we’ll be able to highlight very specific cuisines, because our olive oil is used internationally. We have customers everywhere.” He plans cooking classes featuring olive oil in different cultures, led (for example) by experienced Turkish, Italian, Greek, and Korean chefs. “How beautiful this will be,” Diamantis exclaims, “to have events that introduce our customers to chefs who specialize in a particular cuisine, so the chefs can explain how they use our olive oil!”
Where, Why, When, and What?
Early visitors to Laconiko’s olive oil tasting room have been impressed by the aesthetically appealing new space and its amazing smell. The event room can comfortably seat up to 48 people with their glass of wine and olive oil—important since all the courses will involve olive oil – food pairing. There is also a pleasant outdoor patio for people to enjoy. Large private groups can ask about organizing educational seminars and events such as hands-on cooking courses especially for them.
A beacon of high-quality extra virgin olive oil, Laconiko’s showroom and event room are located at 11301 Braden Drive, Manassas, Virginia 20109, with their impressive range of extra virgin and flavored olive oils and vinegars available for tasting. The showroom is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with no appointment necessary. Olive oil enthusiasts can taste all of Laconiko’s oils before deciding which they want to buy next, as well as learning more about this incredible superfood.
Witness the Result of Laconiko’s Consistent Dedication to High Quality Olive Oil
It is worth stopping by, because this is a company that is always determined, as Diamantis says, to “do an honest job, offer a true product, and be consistent, consistent, consistent! I can’t guarantee that I’ll produce the same quality extra virgin olive oil every year, but I can guarantee I’ll produce the best I can, olive oil that I’m going to be proud of, because I put everything that I had into making it.”
As Diamantis adds, “my customers will always support me, because they understand the love and passion behind our products. We work from morning to night, we travel back and forth between the USA and Greece, to offer something that’s beautiful to make. I never take a shortcut.” This makes a little detour toward their Virginia showroom truly worthwhile for everyone interested in olive oil. You will be amazed at the variety of flavors you encounter in one room, from citrusy and herbal to savory and spicy.
Thanks to Laconiko for the photos from their tasting room that were used with this article.
All businesses, organizations, and competitions involved with Greek olive oil, the Mediterranean diet, and/or agrotourism or food tourism in Greece, as well as others interested in supporting Greeks working in these sectors, are invited to consider the advertising opportunities on the Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil website. The only wide-ranging English-language site focused on news and information from the Greek olive oil world, it has helped companies reach consumers in more than 220 countries around the globe since 2016.
