As the land of olives, Greece has the largest number of PDO certified appellations in the world, nine of which are located on the southern tip of Crete, which has unique promotional conditions. However, Greece's olive oil is mainly for internal digestion, with an annual per capita consumption of 20.35kg, ranking first in the world, and the traditional small-scale farm production model is the main obstacle to olive oil exports. Agrovim S.A., to which Ilia belongs, is one of the largest olive oil exporters in Greece, with annual sales of more than 40 million euros worldwide.
 
Agrovim S.A. is essentially a group of suppliers, selecting high-quality farms in each appellation, where they carry out a series of production processes, from picking to pressing, which are then bottled by Agrovim S.A., which is attributed to the Ilia brand and also helps the farms to sell their own products. With distribution channels to more than 50 countries around the world and a presence in major retail supermarkets, it has transformed the sales disadvantage of Greek olive oil in the international market, winning the Diamond Award for "Greece's Most Admired Company" in 2014.
 
After becoming famous internationally, high-quality farms have come to Agrovim S.A., which has become Iliya's greatest advantage, and has won nearly 50 international awards, such as the Great Taste, the ITQI three-star medal, and the gold medal at the Los Angeles Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.
 
Kolashi is the most prestigious olive oil variety in Greece, with 50-60% of the Greek area planted, with small fruits, but high oil yield and mellow fruity aromas. Ilia's EVOO is all pressed with kolashi fruit, and the natural acidity does not exceed 0.5%, but it has a different taste depending on the origin.
 
The extra virgin olive oil from the Golden Selection range is produced in the PDO-certified regions of Sitia, Peza in Crete and Kalamata in Messenia. PDO Sitia advocates a balance of sweet and bitterness, with golden butter being milder, PDO Peza being harvested earlier and having a dark green color and intense flavour, while grass green PDO Kalamata is the most spicy and persistent. Before Iliya withdrew from the Chinese market, the Golden Selection series could be bought at a price of 69-79 yuan for 500ml, and currently it can only be purchased overseas through Amazon, with a similar price but requiring international shipping costs.
 
The Single Estate collection is a true way to highlight the strengths of Ilia's business model, and if you are selected for the collection, you will be able to bear the name of the original oil estate on the label. Chinaris, from one of the oldest estates in the canton of Messenia, has an old Kolachi tree that has been blooming since 1821. Its olive oil is known in Greece for its sweet, buttery flavor, naturally low acidity, fruity aroma, light bitterness and long, soft spicy throat. The range also includes oils from famous estates such as Konstantelos and Gyfteas, which are priced at about twice as much as the Golden Selection range.
 
Although the quality of Greek olive oil has always been praised as "pure and authentic", it is often absent from truly professional olive oil awards such as the IOC and the NYIOOC in New York because of the emphasis on traditional production methods rather than flavor development. Illya's approach to enriching the flavours of olive oil is simply and crudely blending floral oils with olive oil, and the Platinum Selection range includes flavours such as basil, truffle, tangerine, chocolate, vanilla and rose, which can no longer theoretically be called extra virgin olive oil.
 
In line with its grand goal of conquering the global market, Iliya has carried out a comprehensive layout on e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, JD.com, Suning Tesco, and Vipshop in China, but finally quietly withdrew due to market discomfort, and Tmall and JD.com agents officially ceased business in March 2019.