What weather conditions did 2024 bring for olive growers in Istria?

This year was a very challenging one. We had a rainy and wet spring followed by a very dry summer. There’s an old saying, “anno d’erba, anno di merda” (a year of grass, a bad year), and this year the grass just wouldn’t stop growing. The rain made it difficult to protect the olives from peacock’s eye disease, and conditions were perfect for pest reproduction. Fortunately, the hot summer with temperatures over 32°C made the olive fly sterile, and there wasn’t much pest damage, except in areas affected by certain new pests. Despite these challenges, we defended our groves, and the harvest is quite good, though rain during harvest reduced yields slightly.

Did climate change affect this year’s harvest?

The harvest is happening at an ideal time for specific varieties, and we’re picking them one by one. This year, we harvested the Bjelica variety first, which was previously a late variety but has now become the earliest due to climate change. We also harvested Rožinjola, while Leccino and Pendolino, once early varieties, are now late and still ripening. All the oils will be stored in our cellar.

Under what conditions is olive oil stored to ensure top quality?

The ideal conditions protect the oil from light, temperature, and oxygen. Our “black room” maintains a temperature of 16°C, and the oil is stored in stainless steel tanks under an argon atmosphere to prevent oxidation. Before each harvest, the tanks are steam-cleaned for disinfection.

How is the process of blending varieties carried out?

We blend different varieties of olive oil in a way that we take small amounts from different tanks, and blend them in bottles until we get few options for tasting over several days. Once we decide how we want the blends to taste, the corresponding tanks are mixed. The oils are then bottled throughout the year as per customer orders – not all at once.

Who is involved in selecting the perfect blend?

Almost the entire company is involved in the process, but it is mainly handled by Anja Novoselić, PhD, an expert in olive oil, Lara Benčić, M.Sc. in Agronomy and an olive oil sommelier, and myself. Vita Chiavalon, my daughter, also plays a major role, as she has an excellent sense for recognizing olive oil aromas and flavors. My son Antonio is also becoming increasingly interested and is improving steadily. Once a test blend is made, it is tasted not only by us but also by some of our distributors and clients, and only then is the selection process complete.

How is hygiene maintained in producing extra virgin olive oil?

The mill must be spotless to produce top-quality olive oil. After each break, everything is cleaned because any residue from previous batches can oxidize and spoil the next one. Cleaning the mill takes 5-6 hours, depending on weather and the number of olives harvested. At the beginning and end of the harvest, we stop daily for cleaning, while during peak harvest, it’s cleaned between each client.

Besides expertise and technology, weather is an unpredictable factor in olive farming. What quality of extra virgin olive oil do you expect from this year’s harvest?

The rain positively impacted the quality of the oil. The oils are very aromatic, intense, and full of flavor, and I believe our clients will be very satisfied.