An Edmonton-area resident is producing the world's top quality olive oil
A St. Albert man is producing premium extra virgin olive oil in Greece and distributing it exclusively within Alberta.
George Pananos grew up in Thessaloniki, Greece. He moved to Canada in 1978 and it was not until a few years ago that he realized there was something missing from Alberta’s food market – a “pure and natural extra virgin olive oil.”
After inheriting a family farm in Greece, Pananos decided to develop the land to produce olives. What started as a hobby for the Edmonton-area resident is now a prized product in Alberta. Harvesting and exporting the bottles of wine in Greece, he then exports the olive oil back to Canada.
“As it happens with every small producer of olive oil who is proud of what he makes, we entered the very prestigious New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) just to see how good our product was,” said Pananos.
“We didn’t know how good it was in comparison to others. To our surprise, we won gold in New York in 2019,” he added.
Entering the prestigious competition again in 2020, Pananos took home gold two years in a row. With a total of two gold medals and one silver medal, Pananos says it shows that he has a good product.
Priding himself on producing a natural product with the best practices, the St. Albert resident says his olive oil is distinguished by a “grass flavour.” Using green olives, Pananos says the olives will not produce the same amount of oil as brown olives but the quality is much better.
“We sacrifice quantity for quality,” he said.
A bold flavour, fruitful, and grass-like flavour and high amount of antioxidants is what makes Pananos’ olive oil a sought-after product.
Serving primarily in Edmonton and Calgary, the Pillar Grove Estate bottles are sold in St. Albert’s Italian Bakery's Mercato and Edmonton’s Italian Centre.
“We are very proud to say that we distribute only in Alberta,” he said.
Pillar Grove Estate produced 4,000 bottles in 2019. In 2020, the farm produced 5,500 bottles of extra virgin olive oil.
With files from Darcy Seaton
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Local MP, MLA call on federal government to remove sunken vessel in Saint John River
An MP and an MLA are calling for the removal of a sunken vessel in the Saint John River.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.