Tagaras was born of a dual heritage. Family patriarch Theofanis Tagaras was born in Agios Vassilios, Greece, known as the site of a key victory in the Greek Revolution led by Kolokotronis but perhaps even better known for its remarkably fine olive oil. Matriarch Eleni Tagaras hails from Ancient Nemea, the next village over, which is widely considered home of Greece's finest wines. Their legacy has been handed off in the new millennium to their son Yiorgos Tagaras who splits his time between Los Angeles and Greece with his American born wife, Laurel Myers. Yiorgos and Laurel founded Tagaras the company with the desire to honor the family heritage by bringing to the American market artisanal food products and wine made by small family producers in Greece.
Yiorgos was in the business of accounting and finance in Greece before becoming involved in the business of food and wine after joining a brother in partnership in a seaside fish taverna. His love for great food developed from an early age as he watched his mother at stove and hearth side. Following the rhythms of the seasons, childhood summers were spent between the family villages and the sea. Yiorgos assisted in the annual harvest in the family olive groves every autumn and observed his wine making grandfather and uncles at work in their vineyards and cellars.
Laurel is an interior and garden designer based in Los Angeles. Long devoted to food and wine, she has spent countless off hours in the kitchen recreating dishes first tasted in Greece and adding a California spin to make Yiorgos feel welcome in his new home of Los Angeles. The Greek and California kitchens make a congenial mix with their shared emphasis on fresh seasonal produce and ingredients.
Together in Los Angeles, Yiorgos and Laurel spend time entertaining and cooking for friends and family indoors and out and gardening in an urban setting, thus recreating a bit of Greek village life in the shadow of downtown Los Angeles. Together in Greece, they travel extensively through the countryside in search of outstanding traditional and artisanal food and drink.
Unable to source the very best Greek food products and wine here in the US and tired of coming home with overloaded and extra suitcases, Yiorgos and Laurel set out to form an import company starting with his family's own olive oil.
Tagaras is a reflection of their love of Greece and a desire to share with others some very special and unique foods and wines.
