Papathanasiou - Agrinio - Greece

Papathanasiou is a small family-run company founded in 1999 which is located near the town of Agrinio, in the center-west of Greece. The area, on the high natural interest for the presence of numerous natural parks, offers plenty of pastures and herds of sheep and goats. Milk used by Papathanasiou comes from this area. It is a modern facility, where they are produced, according to the traditional processing, the most typical local cheeses: feta cheese, Kefalograviera and other Greek cheeses. Papathanasiou still produces the feta cheese aging in barrels beechwood. A very ancient ripening technique which is documented as in the Homer's works, but the origin of which there are no clear historical sources, although it seems more due to transport reasons that the aging of the product. The mature feta cheese in brine, from three months up to one year, in tin containers, or in beech's casks and, like the wooden wine, improves with time - tells Nodas Papathanasiou. The aging in oak barrels gives the best result: in wooden cheese has the opportunity to "breathe" and to develop a more complex aroma with hints of spice.