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During a stay at the Dionysos bouÂtique hotel in Turkey, the author parÂticÂiÂpated in an olive oil tastÂing sesÂsion with Yaprak, who explained that the Amos oil being samÂpled was included in the Flos Olei guide to the world’s best extra virÂgin olive oils. The estate at Dionysos has around 1,500 organic olive trees, and guests are invited to take part in the olive harÂvest activÂiÂties, includÂing learnÂing about the process of makÂing olive oil using an Italian pressÂing machine.
As I sipped the pepÂpery, pea-green liqÂuid, Yaprak, our Turkish olive harÂvest guide for the day, explained that the Amos oil I was tastÂing was included in the Flos Olei guide to the world’s best extra virÂgin olive oils. The Flos Olei panel judged the oil to be ​“ample and rotund” with ​“eleÂgant fruity notes of medium ripe tomato, white apple and banana with hints of basil and mint.“
My famÂily and I were guests at the Dionysos bouÂtique hotel on the Bozburun peninÂsula in southÂwestÂern Turkey in October and we were takÂing part in an olive oil tastÂing sesÂsion with Yaprak.
The Dionysos hotel is laid out like a pretty vilÂlage, its red-roofed buildÂings draped in bougainvilÂlea, perched on the mounÂtainÂside above KumlubĂĽk bay and enjoyÂing views across the Mediterranean towards the disÂtant Toros mounÂtains.
Ahmet Ĺženol, genial creÂator and owner of Dionysos, is pasÂsionÂate about food and its proveÂnance and the estate’s farm, vineÂyard, olive groves and fruit trees proÂduce much of what is needed for the hotel kitchens.
The estate has around 1,500 organic olive trees and the memeÂcik olives they proÂduce are pressed on site to make oil. Guests at the hotel durÂing harÂvest time are invited to get involved in the work and learn about olive oil. These olive harÂvest week activÂiÂties are entirely optional, and there are plenty of other things to do at Dionysos — it offers a huge infinÂity pool overÂlookÂing the bay, restauÂrants, a spa, a gym, tenÂnis and shutÂtle buses to the beach and nearÂest town.
Harvesting the olives earÂlier that mornÂing had been easy. Isa, the hotel garÂdener, laid down nets on the ground below the trees to catch the olives. He gave us wicker basÂkets and wooden-hanÂdled olive rakes to comb through the branches. Yaprak explained that the olives’flavor is spoilt if they touched the ground — hence the nets. Our basÂkets were soon full and we walked through the hotel grounds to the pressÂing room to learn how olives are made into oil.
A team of men were hard at work sortÂing, cleanÂing and pressÂing the olives picked that mornÂing using an Italian Olio Mio pressÂing machine. Yaprak told us that an olive’s acidÂity starts to rise as soon as it’s picked and, as extra virÂgin oil needs an acidÂity level of less than 0.8 perÂcent, it has to be proÂduced within six hours of harÂvestÂing. Amos oil is pressed within three hours of pickÂing the olives. Yaprak then botÂtles the oil as needed, a hunÂdred botÂtles at a time for sale in the hotel shop or for use in the kitchens. I’m enjoyÂing using the oil we brought home from our trip, espeÂcially as we helped proÂduce it.