Arriving to Draguć, a village that was important town-castle on Venetian border

The weather is unusually cold and rainy for the end of May. Instead of wearing shorts and T-shirts, I caught a bad cold with nasty cough. Even after 10 days the cold does not want to go away. People start saying that, due to the Eyjafjallajokul volcano in Iceland, there won’t be any summer on Mediterranean this year.

To put these dark volcanic ashes out of my head I decided to beam me up back in time, at the beginning of August 2009, when on a perfect sun warm, shade cold day, I went to Draguć to discover an olive grove that is supposedly more than 300 years old.

The doors of Draguć

Draguć is an ancient village on a curvy and panoramic road from Pazin to Buzet. In the times of Antique Rome it was a fortress that was securing the road. The name Dravuie first appears in a document from 1102 when the count of Ulrich II of Weimar donated the medieval castle of Draguć to the patriarchs of Aquileia. The Middle Ages brought to the village a lot of turnmoils, wars and devastation since it was settled on the border between Venetian Republic and territories of Habsburgs  (Holy Roman Empire to be more precise).

There’s no time for sightseeing and classical history this time. I quickly pass through the main street and arrive to the opposite end of the village – there, my guide to the history of olive tree cultivation in Draguć is waiting for me.

I meet with Oliver Blažević in front of the tiny Romanesque church of St. Roch famous for its frescoes from the end of 13th century painted by Master Anthony of Padova (not the Padova in Italy, it is the old name for Kašćerga – a village 20 km southwest from Draguć). Oliver is son of Ivan Blažević, a brave and visionary guy who, some 10 years ago, decided to put back in shape an old olive grove that was completely covered with dense forest. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet Ivan since he was on a trip.

A stunning view on Butoniga lake and valley. Behind is the St. Roch church

We take a macadam road that descends steeply, following the southern slope of the hill on which Draguć is settled. Oliver tells me how they invested a lot of weeks of hard work with all sorts of heavy mechanization just to rebuild this road that leads to their beloved olive trees – “Before, the cows and sheep were eating the bushes and grass along the road maintaining it clean and wide enough for the traffic. Now, few people keep any animals here, so unfortunately we need help of the machines“.

Heading down a really steep hill

The first olive trees are appearing. The entrance into the olive grove looks like a tunnel, as soon as you enter inside the bright summer light is eaten up by the network of interwoven branches of neighboring trees. A bit of dark Middle Ages atmosphere fills the air and suddenly you start to doubt: “Are we still on the sunny Mediterranean?”.

Some parts of Blažević's olive grove looks like a dark forest

I warned Oliver that the lack of light is not good for the olives – their yield is probably not great since the branches exposed to the North do not receive enough sun, but also the plants are more sensible to various pests since the humidity in the tree tops is high. “I know, here a drastic pruning is desperately needed, but my father does not want to hear about it. He think more pruning means less olives. Maybe next year I’ll change his mind (he smiles). We have to accept modern ideas.”

The most fascinating objects are the trunks – from their size these olives are at least 300 years old, if not more. Some plants don’t have only one 1-1.5 m high trunk from which all other branches emerge.

Never seen olive trees of such incredible form and shape

Often you find a huge stamp covered with moss, partly in a state of decomposition (maybe some trees were destroyed in a fire?), but then many vigorous branches push out and create a sculpture of most incredible forms and shapes. And the roots! Who can imagine how complicated is the root labyrinth that is hiding underground. I walked from one tree to another and admired these old creatures that maybe have seen the arrival of Napoleon troops in Istria in 1806.

These old olive trees are like Phoenix - they can reborn anew from the ashes

If you are a fan of Avatar, you should definitely visit this magical place – here you really get the feeling the olive grove is not just a collection of individual trees, but that they are just buds of one giant underground tree living beneath Draguć.

On the hill across delicious fruit is waiting for us

“From the end of October and all through November we pick up the olives. To get olive oil of extravirgin quality, the olives picked up during the day have to be in the olive mill the same evening. Otherwise, the oil won’t preserve its fruity aromas and can even become rancid.” – Oliver explains.

The adventure is not over. Just across there is a hill seducing us with an innocent look and a vineyard waiting for us. We start to descend through high grass, cross some low shrubland and soon arrive on a wide meadow.

After many years, the olive color is slowly painting the hill below Draguć

On the way down, I take a look back at the Draguć hill. It is clear how the effort and passion of Blažević family can now be seen from the satellite – the bright green of the forest is loosing the battle over the olive green.

Several fig trees surround a small vineyard. “Only two out of twenty rows survived, the rest we took out. We don’t need so much wine as before when the families were large. I think these vines are more than 70 years old. My father inherited this vineyard from his grandfather and it was time when every respectable family in the countryside had to have its own wine. On an ordinary day, at least 5 L were drunk. You know, when you work the whole day in the field, there’s nothing better than to drink a glass or two of bevanda with Istrian Malvasia (half wine, half water)” – Oliver explains.

More than 70yr old vines of Teran. Note the high density of planting

He complains how it’s impossible to use mechanization in this vineyard since the vines are planted very dense. In the past, high density plantation was common simply because the land was expensive – today, in modern viticulture, it is a key factor to get wine of superior quality.

Fruit tastes better if it has entirely ripened on the plant

My scalp is burning, it’s about 1 PM and the Sun is in the zenith. It’s time to slowly go back to Draguć. But only after we replenish our forces with delicious blackberries and pears we found on our way. I rarely buy fruits in the supermarket, they rarely have any taste – they are always picked green, unripe. But to eat fruit that has ripened on the tree is another story.

Finally, after a demanding ascent, first houses appeared through the leaves

We needed 15 minutes of steep ascent to arrive in the village. Few glasses of water and a glass of Malvasia in Blažević’s house put as back on track. It’s time to taste Blažević’s extravirgin olive oil that won gold medals at olive oils competition: Vinistra 2007 in Poreč and Maslina exhibition 2010 in Split.

2009 Ivan Blažević Draguć extravirgin olive oil

Deep green with golden reflections. The nose is vegetal – green grass dominates, later come out sweet aromas of hazelnuts and dry wood. In the mouth has strong body and structure, progressively bitter and peppery sensations get in intensity but always remaining in equilibrium. In the finish peppery notes persist, together with elegant hazelnuts notes. Due to its robust body do not use it with delicate fish, but with various minestrone, grilled meat, salads.

At the end, a big thank to Blažević family for their great hospitality and for showing me the ancient treasures of Draguć. If you pass through Draguć contact them and I am sure they can be your guide too.

Contact:
Ivan Blažević
Draguć 41
HR-52402 Cerovlje
Croatia

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If you are crazy about dicovering new and unusual sensory experiences come to Vodnjan. In this small town near Pula, you won’t remain indifferent when you see the mummies of six saints and you will be thrilled when you taste Vodnjan’s extravirgin olive oil. There are so many different kinds of olive oils here, that it is best to come at the end of November when a gastronomic event dedicated to young olive oil – “The Days of Young Olive Oil” – takes place. Last weekend I visited the event and in just three days managed to taste more than 20 oils.

The Days of Young Olive Oil in Vodnjan

This year more than 18.000 visitors came to “The days” not only to taste more than 150 olive oils from 50 producers, but also to enjoy homemade pickled olives and cakes made with olive oil, local sausages, salami, cured ham (pršut), wines and various grappas. The event is perceived so important for the local community that it got high patronage of the President of Croatia Stjepan Mesić, Ministry of Agriculture and Istrian County. Marco Oreggia the editor of “Extravergine – A Guide to the Best Certified Quality Olive Oil in the World” and a world-renowned authority in olive oil tasting, visited the fair and gave a talk “Croatian position in the world olive growing sector”.

Renaissance of the autochtonous Istrian olive cultivars

The most of time I spent crawling from one olive oil producers to the other, each time tasting 2-3 oils (here is a short guide on how to do the olive oil tasting properly). I noticed two very positive trends on the local olive oil scene.

The first trend is that there was plenty of oils made solely from autochtonous Istrian olive sorts, or cultivars – Buža, Bjelica, Karbonaca, Rošinjola, Moražola, Žižolera… These oils are becoming very popular since their aroma, taste and character is different from oils from Leccino, Pendolino and Frantoio – Tuscan cultivars popular all over the world. I heard that local olive oil producers are now planting mostly the autochonous varieties in the new olive groves. In my opinion, it is a very wise decision. Istria has to offer to the world olive oils that simply taste different and are closely linked to the territory where they are produced.

Monocultivar olive oils

The second trend is the popularity of monocultivar olive oils – the oils made from only one olive variety (cultivar). The choice to separate different cultivars doesn’t necessarily lead to an oil of better quality oil but it is used to produce oils with different aroma/taste qualities and intensities. If you mix everything it may happen that a cultivar with the strongest aroma/taste overwhelms subtleties of all the others.

Monocultivar olive have a tremendous importance in haute cuisine where often a chéf will search for an oil whose flavor, aroma and intensity pair well with a dish. For example, strong and spicy oils are good for dipping bread or bruschette, while mild and herbacious ones are perfect to pour over delicate fish.

To filter or not to filter olive oil?

I noticed that most of the big olive oil producers in Istria (but also worldwide) choose to filter their oil right after it exits from olive mill. In a previous post I explained why plant material that floats in young oil needs to be removed within 2-3 months from the date of production, otherwise the oil will soon acquire unpleasant rotten and muddy aroma and taste. Interestingly, these filtered young oils had weaker and less complex aroma compared to young oils of small-scale producers (usually a family that owns olive groves) that only decant but do not filter their oil.

That evening I became confused and did not know who is right and who is wrong? The big or small olive oil producers? Is filtering absolutely necessary or not?

To solve this dilemma, I posed few questions to Prof. Lanfranco Conte from Food Science Department of University of Udine after his talk about molecules responsible for aroma and taste of olive oil.

Microdroplets of water in young olive oil

-How does filtering change young olive oil?
Filtering is very brutal. It removes the plant material and that is fine because the oil will not get a smell of rot over time. The drawback is that it also removes microdroplets of vegetative water that also float in the oil. These microdroplets are important since inside them there is a lot of polyphenols – molecules of enormous importance because they bring aroma and taste to olive oil. Inevitably, filtered oil will have less intense aroma and flavors compared to unfiltered one.

-Polyphenols are also good for your health?
Exactly. One of them is hydroxytyrosol and this tiny molecule it is believed to be one of the most powerful antioxidants. It can be find only in extravirgin olive oil and gives it the bitter taste. More bitter is the oil, more healthier it is.
-Are there any alternatives to filtering?
In first 2-3 months the best strategy would be to only decant the oil from the deposit it will form on the bottom of container. Then in January, if the oil does not become crystal clear, you have to filter it. Otherwise, you risk too much.
-Thank you so much!
You’re welcome.

I wonder if it would be possible to design a filter that removes only plant material but leaves precious polyphenols and aroma/taste molecules in the olive oil. Any experts in nanotechnology here?

At the end, here are some olive oils I managed to taste in Vodnjan. All of them were unfiltered.

Olea B.B. – a company specialized for monocultivar olive oils is  They presented eight oils made from Buža, Bjelica, Karbonaca, Rošinjola, Leccino, Cipressino, Frantoio and Ascolana Tenera. I tried the oil from Ascolana Tenera that is an table olive variety from Italy but it is also used for making oil. Not a surprise since the oil was excellent, the fruitiest oil I ever tried – in the nose you feel mature tomato and apples, very mild and sweet, it is equilibrated and persistent in the mouth. The oil from Rošinjola was a great surprise, fruity at first and slightly bitter, but then it becomes excitingly spicy. An oil with a distinctive character.

Olea B.B. presented eight monocultivar olive oils

Vošten family – I already wrote about their oil from Buža variety. This year their oil is equally delicious although I think it is still a bit too young since the notes of freshly cut green grass are a bit too strong. It just needs some time – a month and it will become perfect, ready to win another gold medal. Chocolate and olive oil? Believe me it pairs so well with the fruity and sweet flavor of the Buža oil. Yummy! Congratulations, it’s a brave move.

Chocolate goes well with olive oil from Buža since it is fruity and sweet

Teraboto – Excellent oil from buža, bjelica and karbonaca. They also had the best pickled olives of the fair, produced in a completely natural way – the olives are first rinsed for 15 days in fresh water, the water is changed each day, then the olives are put in glass jars with salty water. Fantastic!

The best pickled olives on the fair

Livio and Lorenzo Belci - Apart Buža and Karbonaca, they produce oil from Žižolera (Zizzolera), a very rare olive cultivar that grows only in the vicinity of Vodnjan. Fragrant and herbacious, aromatic herbs and pine trees in the nose, intense, piquant, equilibrated in its bitterness. Very persistent in the mouth.

Livio and Lorenzo Belci produce a vary rare olive oil from Žižolera

Cossara Livio – I was thrilled with an oil made from 100% Karbonaca cultivar. I still remember how its aroma was herbacious, with notes of tomato leafs, in mouth equilibrated and sweet at first, then slowly becoming peppery (not chilly, really like black pepper) and wild. Very persistent. “Enfant terrible” of the fair. Absolutely delicious.

Their oil from 100% Karbonaca is unforgettable

Do you know how to properly taste an olive oil on an exhibition? The producers will usually offer you chunks of bread that you should dip in the oil to taste it. This is a completely wrong approach!

To taste an olive oil avoid dipping bread in it. Instead, pour it in the glass and taste it like a wine.

First, bread has its own aroma and taste that will change the ones from oil. Second, you won’t feel any oil aroma. Olive oil does not release its aroma so easily as wine so it is practically impossible to feel any from a small chunk of bread.

You need to ask that they pour you the oil in a small plastic glass that is always available on the exhibition desk. Then, grab the glass and heat it with your palm while at the same you turn it so that the oil wets the glass walls. If you close the glass with a napkin concentration of aromatic molecules in the glass will get higher. Then, quickly stick your nose in the glass. Now you will be able to feel aroma of the oil. After this, take a sip of the oil and hold in your mouth for a few moments, breathing through your nose. This will help aromas to find their way to your nasal cavity.

What does your tongue detect? Usually the olive oil can be bitter, sweet and pungent (piquant or peppery), and in very rare occasions salty. If it is more bitter, then it is less sweet, and vice versa. How does it flow in your mouth, is it viscous or thin?

You can now swallow the oil and wait for a few seconds. How persistent is the taste? Beware! Some oils are like a clockwork bomb – they are not peppery while they reside in your mouth but they will bite your throat few seconds after the swallowing.

Before you proceed with tasting of another oil, rinse your throat by chewing a chunk of bread or even better take a slice of apple. At the end, take a sip of water.

A good olive oil is born to be wild, but in few months it becomes tamed and smooth. For those like it wild, here is a piece of advice on how to keep it that way for a while longer.

When it exits from the olive mill olive oil is like a freshly pressed fruit juice. Its aromas are intense and deliciously fresh, in mouth behaves wildly, it bites, and it is often peppery and bitterish. In two or three months its wild taste fades away and then the oil is usually sent to market (they say it becomes more equilibrated but I would say it is just more adapted to the taste of the common people).

Young olive oils made from 100% "Buža" (left) and 100% "Leccino" (right) olives. Observe the difference in color - the left one is more yellow, the right is dark green.

There are certainly people who would like to buy an olive oil that keeps its initial character throughout the year, not only in the first few months. But, is it possible to produce such oil? To answer this question, we first have to find out why the young olive oil has such intense aromas and flavors.

First step – The young oil has cloudy appearance (see the picture above). It is cloudy since the olive mill does not perfectly separate the liquid from the solid part of the olive paste (olives are first ground into paste), causing that some tiny solid particles inevitably escape to the oil. Maybe exactly these particles – plant material originating from ground olives – contain a lot of molecules responsible for intense aromas and flavors of the young oil?

To test this hypothesis we have first to remove the plant material from the oil so that it becomes transparent. Then, we smell and taste “the cloudy” and “the transparent” oil one after the other and see if the intensity and quality of aroma/flavor is different or not.

For the test I used two oil samples (see the picture above). The first oil I got from a friend of mine – it is two weeks old and made entirely from “Buža” olives, an olive cultivar indigenous to Istria. The second oil was produced by my family – it is four weeks old and is made entirely from “Leccino” olives, a Tuscan cultivar very popular in Istria (by the way, to show their support for Manjada blog, my family named our oil Oio Manjadico; in English – The Oil of Manjada. Here is how the bottle looks like.)

The olive oil was left in centrifuge at 3500 rpm for 20 min

Second step – Centrifuge. In order to remove the solid stuff both oils were left 20 minutes in a centrifuge rotating at 3500 rpm (rounds per minute). We could also make our life easier and just filter the oil. This method was discarded since I could not find a filter with certification that its influence on aromas and flavors is minimal.

The centrifugation was successful since both oils became transparent and the deposit was formed on the bottom of the container. Then, the oils were carefully decanted using a pipette. The picture below demonstrates how the cloudiness has disappeared in both oils.

The second and the fourth bottle contain the oils after centrifugation.

Third step – Comparison. The aroma of the cloudy “Buža” oil had some unpleasant vegetal notes, similar to freshly cut green grass. The oil was either too young, or the olives, before they entered into the mill, were not cleaned from the leafs carefully enough. The vegetable notes practically disappeared after the centrifugation, and excellent notes of white flowers, radicchio and nuts came to the surface.

The aroma of the cloudy “Leccino” oil was very fruity, notes of green apple were obvious with hints of aromatic herbs and dry hay. The centrifugation practically did not change the aromas of this oil. Maybe there was only a very slight loss in intensity of herbal (green) aromas which caused that fruity (sweet) aromas became more perceptible.

Both for the “Buža” oil and for the “Leccino” oil, I did not notice any change in quality and intensity of flavor after the centrifugation – they remained equally spicy and slightly bitter.

In conclusion, the molecules responsible for intense aromas and flavors are (mostly) not residing in the solid particles that makes a young oil cloudy. The plant material is responsible for “green” vegetal aroma that is not always pleasant. Instead, molecules of other aromas are dissolved in the oil.

There is a big problem with the plant material floating in the oil. In two or three months it will deposit on the bottom of bottle, it will start to rot which will lead to deterioration of aroma and taste of the oil. Technically speaking, it will acquire “muddy” flavor characteristics.

So, what an olive oil producer should do to protect his oil from deterioration?

An industrial scale centrifuge that runs at 3500 rpm would be a very expensive toy for a small olive oil producer. Filtering the oil through carefully chosen filters could give equally satisfactory results. But (yes, there is always a but) according to this article

“(appart from the plant material)… on the same time, cloudy olive oil contains microdroplets of vegetative and non-vegetative water in small amounts (0.1-0.3%) forming an oil/water emulsion. This unique physicochemical state of cloudy olive oil maybe responsible for the observed increased oxidative stability of that type of oil compared to the filtered one. Cloudy olive oil has higher levels of polyphenols, or polar phenols that form a complex polyphenol-proteincomplex. This complex interacts within the suspension/emulsion system and contributes to the formation and maintenance of the physicochemical properties of this oil.”

Unfortunately, any filtering will remove these microdroplets of water in which polyphenols (responsible for high antioxidant activity) and other molecules responsible for aroma and taste may be dissolved.

Fortunately, if your olive mill has a very good centrifuge, you don’t even have to filter it. It will be enough to wait one or two month, the plant material will naturally deposit on the bottom of container, you decant the oil and that’s it. Your oil will be crystal clear.

If such transparent olive oil is kept under the atmosphere of a noble gas, I believe it is possible to keep its original wild and intense aromas and flavors and good polyphenols concentration for a while longer – at least a year.

Don’t tell me global warming does not exist. It has come to my grandmother’s olive grove near Medulin. It was only the first weekend in October and already half of the olives were black, the other half green (see the picture below). It is a sign to begin harvesting if one wants to obtain extravirgin olive oil of superior quality, full of fruity aromas and not dull to the taste buds.

Cleaning olives from leafs

Usually we harvest at least two weeks later, but the past summer was so hot and dry that the maturation was accelerated. So, we called our friends and family and in one day the fruits from some fifty olive trees have been picked and the same evening sent to olive mill.

Such a rush is necessary to get an excellent oil. If the olives are not processed within 24 hours, oxidative and fermentative processes start and the oil might not get the extravirgin status butmight get rancid smell and taste.

Like most families In Istria, we usually hand-pick the olives. To speed up the process,  the olives are detached from the branch using a small plastic rake.

The olives are harvested using a small plastic rake

It is a lot of work and it would be a pain in the ass if you pick the olives alone, but in a good company the hours pass like minutes. It is a kind of repetitive activity where you do not need to think, instead you free your mind and just enjoy small talk with the comrades working on the same olive tree.

The olives fall in the net spread on the ground. When there are no more olives on the tree, the fruits are easily transferred from the net to plastic cases. A fully mature tree (at least 10 years old) can give up to 60 kg of olives.

The olives fall in the net

On industrial scale the harvest is done using a device that shakes the branch so that the olives detach. This works nice for fully mature black olives, but hand-picking is usually the only way to harvest the green olives that are not so easily detached from the branch. But we need green olives are necessary to get an excellent oil. That is why olive oil produced by a large company can never be so good as the oil produced by a small scale farmer. As a nice example, look at the picture below.

This year the olives were perfectly healthy. The worst enemy of olives is the olive fly that likes to drill a hole in the fruit and then deposit an egg inside. As a consequence, the fruit oxidizes and ferments, and the oil gets a rotten and muddy smell. Using only biological treatment methods (pheromonic traps) I managed to avoid their attack. It is so nice to realize it is possible to avoid chemical treatments and have the same, if not better, quality of olives.

The olive harvest is over and my grandmother is more than happy

This year we picked 980 kg of olives which is 40% percent more than the last year. I was shocked and happy when I heard these numbers! Such a large increase was possible mostly because we have ten younger trees that only this year reached their productive maturity. I can not tell you how my 83-years-old grandmother was happy that her work in the field was fruitful.

After the work, we had a copious and delicious lunch together. I do not want to make this post too long, so the food we have eaten is described in the next post.

Is it the olive oil, or the olive juice?

The last picture is taken the same evening in Agroprodukt’s olive mill in Vodnjan. The essence of the work in the last 12 months is slowly dripping down from the stainless steel tube and I am just staring there, completely enchanted by the incredibly green and fluorescent color of this olive juice. I can not wait to taste it.

If you prefer green hills and meadows instead the scarce mediterranean vegetation and pine trees, visit the northern or central Istria.

Hills and meadows near Grdo Selo

If in addition you would like to try some unusual extravirgin olive oil go to Krasica, a small village just few kilometers from medieval town of Buje. From Buje take the curvy road passing through the hills covered with vineyards and olive trees (direction Pula), and enjoy a stunning view on the Adriatic on horizon. When you arrive in Krasica on your left there is house of Nino Činić, a local farmer whose olive oil has entered into prestigious italian extravirgin olive oil guide “Extravergine”.

We called Nino in the morning to schedule an olive oil tasting in the afternoon. When we entered a nice and cosy tasting room, located in the ground floor of his recently renovated old house, he immediately asked if we are are thirsty and started to open a bottle of malvasia. “The oil is nice to taste, but first you all need some refreshment” he said. That was a nice start.

Nino offered us some malvasia to start…

In the meantime, on the table there were three oils waiting for us. To feel the real aromas and flavors of the oil, instead of dipping a piece of bread in the oil, it is better to use a small glass. Fill in some oil, cover the glass with a napkin, hold the glass in hand and turn it slowly so that the oil gets heated up. In that way the aromas will be released to the air more quickly. Then, stick your nose below the napkin and try to recognize what your nose feels.

…and three olive oils to taste, together with some sheep cheese

The first oil was a blend of Leccino, Pendolino and Frantoio, two typical Tuscan olive varieties now widespread in Istria. It is of light green color, with aromas of fresh grass or hay and radicchio. Mild, medium fruity, of low degree of pepper aftertaste and bitterness. Nino explained us that this varieties lost a lot of bitter and spicy flavors that were present in October, immediately after they were produced.

Price: 0.5 l – 73 kn (10 eur)

The second oil contained mostly Buža, an indigineous Istrian variety that can be recognized by its yellow color and transparent appearance. There are fresh aromas of white flowers, hay and nuts. The flavor is nicely sweet and equilibrated, creamy, just slightly spicy and bitter.

Price: 0.5 l – 73 kn (10 eur)

We concluded the tasting with a real delicacy, a true expression of northern Istria. The last oil was made of 100% Bjelica (it. Bianchera), an olive variety indigenous in this region, resistent to strong wind Bura and low temperatures. It is of dark green color, almost fluorescent in its appearance. The oil is dense, with strong aromas of fresh green grass and olive leaves, green apple, radicchio and aromatic herbs. The flavor is strong, more herbaceous and vegetable than fruity, dominated by bitter and pepperish notes (especially in the finish) that are nevertheless well equilibrated and pleasant. Definitely an oil with a character, so one must be careful in pairing it with food of milder aromas and flavors. I see it excellent as a condiment over freshly cooked pasta or rice, on warm bruschette, with steamed vegetables, in various vegetable soups.

Price: 0.5 l – 73 kn (10 eur)

This oil should be also good for your health since the spicyness and bitterness are a sign of high concentration of polyphenols, molecules that have antioxidant characteristics and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The olive oil is stored in stainless steel tanks…

…and then bottled in 0.5 L bottles

At the end, Nino kindly showed us the dark and cold room where the oil is stored in stainless steel tanks. He reminded us that the olive oil, unlike wine, should be consumed as young as possible since during the time, due to the unavoidable oxidation, it only looses its exciting aromas and flavors and becomes a dull boring everyday oil.

Many thanks to Nino! We will be back here in October, when the oil is as young as it can be.

Oleum Vitae

OPG- A. A. Nino Činić

Krasica 40

52460 Buje, Croatia

phone +385 (0)52 776 164

mobile phone +385 (0)91 529 5521

email nino.cinic@gmail.com

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In Vodnjan, the capital of extravirgin olive oil in Croatia, the beginning of April is bringing two closely related manifestations – The 15th exhibition of extravirgin olive oil and The 16th exhibition of wines of South Istria (here is the invitation leaflet). Both events are to be held in sports hall of local elementary scool (map here). The program starts on Saturday 4th at 11 AM with degustations of extravirgin olive oils coming from all parts of Croatia and wines coming only from the South Istria.

If are growing olives (and speak Croatian!), do not miss the talks in the afternoon about preparation of the soil for plantation of new olive trees. Otherwise come directly at 6 PM on the awards ceremony, where the best olive oils are getting their bronze, silver or gold medal. Do some tasting of the oil produced from local varieties of olives, like žižolera, buža, rošinjola, bjelica… Last year I was impressed how each variety had its own specific bouquet and taste, different from aromas of italian varieties (like leccino, pendolino, frantoio) that I was used to. This is a great opportunity to choose what oil you like, to meet the producer and make a deal if you want to buy some more.

On the last year’s olive oil exhibition in Vodnjan I met Mario Vošten immediately after he got gold medal for his oil made of 100% buža olives, an autochtonous variety from Istria. I was impressed with his oil that had a very refreshing bouquet and a sweet taste perfectly balanced with bitterish and spicy finish.

Few months ago I went to visit him in Vošteni, a small village near Sv. Lovreč and Poreč (map here), to buy some oil for my colleagues. He has its house at the end of the village, where I was warmly welcomed by him and his wife. We went inside in the kitchen when he offered me to taste two varieties he is producing, the first is the famous 100% buža oil, and the second is a blend of buža, leccino and pendolino. After I praised his oil, he was very modest and said he just takes care of his olive trees, collects them as fast as possible and bring them to local olive pressing mill. The work in the field is entirely done by him and his wife, except for the harvest when the whole family and a bunch of friends are joining in. They offered me a coffee, and we started talking about everything, what has to be done now in the field, how he also produces wine for his own purpose, about country life and life in general… Unfortunately I had to leave to go to work and the magic moment had to stop. At the end, he offered me also a bottle of his red and white wine that he produces only for his family.

Finally, if you want to but some oil from Mario please call him on +385(0)52 448403, but be aware that he speaks only Croatian or Italian.

Here are my tasting notes of his delicious 100% buža olive oil. Aroma is intense, scents of freshly cut green grass, radicchio and white flowers are sweetened with nuts aromas (devoid of any chamomille and banana scents that I do not like). The taste is sweet but equilibrated with refreshing bitterness that comes to the surface a bit later, to finally finish moderately pepperish. The balance is what impressed me a lot! Remember that the balance is hard to obtain in sweet oils since there is danger they will become dull and without accents. It is creamy in the mouth and aromas are persistent for tens of seconds. It will be adored by the people who like sweet and not pepperish olive oils. I see it as an excellent oil to make unusual deserts with black chocolate, but also with delicate fish and salads.

UPDATE: Mario won gold medal also for the vintage 2009!

Last Saturday (April 4 th), on wine and oil exhibition in Vodnjan, Mario again won a gold medal for his extraordinary olive oil made of 100% Buža. Here is the article from the local news website, unfortunately only in croatian. Here you can see the overall list of the winners. This is his sixth gold medal in a row. Congratulations to Mario, and keep up the good work!

Mario Vošten

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