Extra Virgin Alliance - The Olive Oils

At PSYCHE, the olive trees we cultivate are inextricably linked to the history and culture of Greece itself, embracing its uniqueness that has richly shaped its agricultural history. Throughout our entire process, we prioritize and respect the environment, natural resources, the health of our consumers, and of course - the protection of the farmers themselves. Greek families caring for a few hectares of olive trees allow for both the owners and employees from the local community to reap the value of their work in a fair and public way. And keeping in mind the insurmountable problem of climate change and environmental pollution, we truly focus our efforts on organic growers becoming part of the solution, not part of the problem. 

PSYCHE is different because they are not competing with or comparing it to other olive oil brands. It is built on the principle of quality and transparency in the supply chain. It is a philosophy towards life. You are buying into a lifestyle, an ideology rooted in food as medicine.  

PSYCHE founder Theophilos Constantinou first made a name for himself through PARADIGM, his NYC-based art publishing company with a cult following. But just when he was at the top of his career, Theophilos had a series of revelations. He took a step away from the publishing, dedicating himself to something very unexpected: olive oil via his brand PSYCHE.  

Theophilos wants to rectify these ills through his brand PSYCHE currently based out of Copenhagen, simply described as gourmet sustainable olive oil made with a bit of an artist's touch. In his own words, he's “delivering health” while having a transparent supply chain and personal relationships with local farmers. 

ABOUT OUR REGION  

Olive cultivation in the area of the Municipality of Pylos-Nestor dates back quite far in time, even before King Nestor (3000 BC). The predominant variety in the area is the Mavrolia (or Choraïtiki), which is still found in our region's olive groves today, while the Koronieiki is a variety that arrived later. 

Since the time of King Nestor, the area, and especially the Palace of Nestor in Upper Englianos, was the trading center of Messinia. The palace preserved the storage and  registration of agricultural products, and through it, commercial activities developed with  other peoples of the time. The palace stored grains, wine, and olive oil. However, all these are things of the past, lost over the years and the wars that passed through our land. 
 
ABOUT THE FAMILY 
 
The Karambotsos family began its commercial activities around 1930, with our great-grandfather Georgios Karambotsos. Our great-grandfather would take the boat from Koroni and cross the Messinian Gulf to reach Kalamata and sell whatever agricultural products he had (mainly potatoes and raisins). The family owned many acres of vineyards and grapevines; generally, the vineyard was the village's main cultivation, hence the name Ampelofyto. 

In the 1970s, our grandfather Anastasios Karambotsos also started olive oil activities,  creating the first privately-owned olive press with separators (centrifugal system) in the village. Until 1990, olive oil activities were purely productive; from 1991, commercial activities began, led by our father Georgios Karambotsos. Initially, the product was sold to Greek businesses in Kalamata, gradually expanding to collaborations with foreign companies, particularly in Italy. This trade was initially in bulk form, carried in large barrels (initially) and then in tanker trucks. Since 2009, it has started its own bottling and brand development.