Why Istrian Olive Oil is so Special

Chiavalon olive groves photo credit Doris Berecic

From north to south, Istria’s verdant landscape is painted with neat rows of olive groves. The olive tree is a symbol of the Mediterranean identity of this peninsula tucked in the north Adriatic Sea. It also hints at an agricultural heritage with a Roman past.

The peninsula of Istria is shared by three countries. The majority (90%) of its geographical territory falls in Croatia, while a north-western strip belongs to Slovenia, and its northernmost tip reaches up almost to Trieste in Italy. This is the northern edge of the fertile Mediterranean Basin and thanks to the proximity of the sea, the climate is mild and ideal for olive growing. 

Relics of a Roman past

A 1600-year-old olive tree is one of the many attractions of Veliki Brijun island which lies just off Istria’s south-west coast. This majestic tree is also a relic of Istria’s long olive oil tradition. So are the terracotta amphorae preserved in the basement of the 1st century Roman amphitheater in Pula, in the south of the peninsula. Inscribed with the Latin words “Olei Histrici” (Istrian oil) or “Olei flos” (first press oil), these were used to transport olive oil by ship across the Roman empire.

While olive oil was an important source of income back in Roman times, its production gradually declined in the region before experiencing a more recent renaissance of sorts. Over the past three decades, the olive oil industry in Istria has quickly developed. In 1994, the peninsula counted 350,000 olive trees and three oil mills, while today there are over 1.8 million trees growing here and at least 30 mills in operation.

Regional investments and incentives designed to encourage olive production provided the impetus for this growth. While olive oil production in Istria has increased in recent years, it remains modest compared to olive-growing regions in the European Union’s biggest producing countries, such as Spain and Greece.

Istrian Olive Varieties

Quality not quantity would best describe Istria’s olive oil production. Most olive growers and oil producers here are small family-run businesses with an eye on producing a high-quality product. They have adopted modern-day production and processing techniques, and harvest their olives by hand in early fall, just as the drupes are starting to turn purple, to ensure a high phenolic content. 

Many olive oil makers have also invested in their own two-phase milling machines. Processed within 24 hours at low temperatures, the result is extra virgin olive oil with fruity notes that are pleasing to the palate. 

Some of Istria’s native olive varieties include istarska bjelica, buža, karbonaca, črnica, žižolera, rošinjola, and puntoža, while Italian cultivars such as leccino, frantoio, moraiolo, and pendolino also grow here.

Powerful polyphenols

Olives at Terra Centuria

Of course, a region’s unique terroir also influences the fruits of its soil. Istrian olive oil is high in health-boosting mono-unsaturated oleic acid, as well as polyphenols, the powerful antioxidants that fight disease-causing free radicals.

“Currently the olive variety that has the highest quantity of polyphenols in our groves is Istrian white [Istarska Bjelica],” says scientist and olive producer Dr. Danijel Stojković Kukulin of Terra Centuria in Slovenia. “But I think there is a great probability we will find other varieties that will be even better for the production of high phenolic olive oils,” he adds.

Terrra Centuria bottle

Marketed as “high polyphenol organic extra virgin olive oil”, Terra Centuria’s award-winning oils are made by pressing olives while they are still green and unripe in order to preserve as high a concentration of polyphenols as possible. 

“This is not really something new, as the ancient Greeks and Romans produced similar olive oils that were mainly used for medicinal purposes and cosmetics,” says Kukulin. “I think the medicinal part of olive oil is very important and polyphenols are the main compounds that contribute to its health benefits.” 

An Outstanding Olive Oil Producer

Since 2019, olive oil produced in the Slovenian and Croatian parts of Istria has its own “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO) at the EU level. “Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje” (Istrian extra virgin olive oil) or “Istra” (the Croatian and Slovenian name for Istria) is the appellation you can find on a bottle of Istrian olive oil that guarantees its origin and authenticity.

Producers in Slovenia and Croatia have won numerous international awards from around the globe attesting to the high quality of their extra virgin olive oils. Istria is also firmly on the map as an important olive region with over 100 high-quality producers. The Flos Olei olive oil guide has named it the “World’s Best Olive Region” for the past eight years. In its 2024 edition, Mate was awarded top marks, a perfect 100, for their exceptional olive oil.

Mate olive oils

Mate is the namesake of late Mate Vekić who planted the very first olive trees in the farm’s groves in Istria’s westernmost tip three decades ago at the age of 75. He started with trees of frantoio, leccino and pendolino, the only varieties which were largely available at that time. The grove then expanded with native olive trees of buža, Istarska Bjelica, and karbonaca. Today over 27,000 olive trees cover 70 hectares (173 acres) and the farm boasts its own mill which guarantees quick processing once the olives have been hand-picked.  

Olive Oil Hospitality

Sandi and Tedi Chiavalon photo credit Doris Berecic

The best to get to know Istria’s exquisite extra virgin olive oil is of course to taste it. Just like wine tourism, olive oil tourism has exploded in Istria. Many olive farms offer the chance for a guided tour of their groves followed by an expert-led tasting experience in their on-site tasting rooms. Green signs marked “Cesta Maslinova Ulja” (Olive Oil Road) point the way to local olive oil makers across the peninsula.

Chiavalon opened Istria’s first olive oil tasting room back in 2008 and recently received an international award for Best Olive Oil Hospitality 2024. This recognition follows the opening of their new contemporary space in 2020 which is made up of an olive processing mill as well as a tasting room and shop.

Sandi and Tedi Chiavalon, the brothers behind the family business, enjoy sharing their knowledge and passion for olive oil and Istria’s olive growing heritage. “What we have is a kind of olive oil center here in Istria that’s open 365 days a year,” explains Tedi. “In addition to offering tours during the tourist season we also help other olive oil makers in the region through symposiums with the aim to share information about new technologies and cultivation methods, but also biodiversity, organic production, and other new innovations.”

Chiavalon bottles

Visitors to Chiavalon near Vodnjan in south Istria have the opportunity to discover the story behind the bottle by joining a tour and learning about the entire olive oil production process. After a walk through the family’s groves, the tour moves on to the processing plant and an introduction to the various stages of olive pressing, processing, and storage. The visit concludes in the tasting room with a guided tasting session of Chiavalon’s award-winning organic blends which are shipped to two dozen countries all over the world. Visitors can browse in the on-site shop and take a take a bit of Istria home in a bottle.

Chiavalon harvest photo credit Doris Berecic

“We also make a point of sharing our philosophy as organic producers,” says Tedi. “We explain what growing olives in an organic way and in cooperation with nature looks like, without the use of any chemicals.” Chiavalon’s entire production process also follows zero waste principles. They use waste from the mill to heat their homes and feed the soil, while filters are reused for firing fireplaces. 

In addition to technical know-how and tips on organic olive growing and zero waste practices, the Chiavalon brothers also make a point of sharing the history and heritage of Istria. “We have a really exceptional and very important history of olive oil production that dates back to Roman times so for us it’s very important to highlight this. Each drop of our oil tells the story of Istria.”