Fall in love with the wide range of flavors of our excellent extra virgin olive oils, among which you will surely single out your favorite which will become an indispensable spice to your dishes, but also strengthen your health.
The range of extra virgin olive oils Oio Vivo currently includes four varietal oils of indigenous olives, and two blends of varietal oils of different intensities.
Our selection consists of Vodnjanska Buža, Rozinjola, Istarska Bjelica, and a rare variety Žižolera, specific to the area of Vodnjan, and from the blends we have a milder Bon, and an intense Gajardo.
Oio Vivo – living oil, whose name points to the millennial tradition of olive oil production, combines an excellent geographical position for olive growing with an innovative approach to olive oil production, which has always resulted in the creation of top quality oils.
High presence of polyphenols, stability of taste and freshness, are the main features of our oil that has the most beneficial effect on our health and longevity.
The region of Istria, a peninsula in the west of Croatia, has a Mediterranean climate extremely suitable for growing olives. This was discovered by the ancient Romans, who produced significant quantities of very valuable olive oil in Istria. The area of Vodnjan, in the south of the Istrian peninsula, with sunny olive groves, red soil, stone dry stone walls and a corridor of warm sea air connecting the eastern and western coasts of Istria is highlighted as a climate where the most valuable oil was produced. An olive grove of 56 ha with 15,000 trees is located in an excellent location for growing olives at an altitude of 60-120 m.n.v. only 4.5 km away from the sea. It is located between Vodnjan in the north and Pula in the south, in the southern part of the Istrian peninsula, where the beneficial currents of warm sea air from the Bay of Raska in the east and the Brijuni Islands in the west take place.
The olive grove is divided into a regular orthogonal network, reminiscent of the Roman heritage of land centuries, the rule of limited estates, in which individual olive varieties are grown, five indigenous varieties, and two foreign,Italian olive varieties.
5.500 stabala
The olive variety Buža is the most widespread autochthonous olive variety in Istria. There are several types of biotypes of this variety in Istria. The Vodnjan area is characterized by the Vodnjanska Buža. The Buža tree is strong, lush in growth, with a dense, broad canopy that grows in height. The twigs grow upright, while the fruiting twigs are bent. The leaf is medium-sized, elliptical, in the shape of a spear with a gray reverse. The fruit of the Buža olive variety is medium to large, ovoid in shape, slightly asymmetrical, and at full maturity, it is dark in color. It requires warm and protected positions, and is therefore most suitable for growing in the warm positions of southern Istria.
600 stabala
The Buža puntoža variety is a characteristic autochthonous olive variety in Istria that is grown in the area of Rovinj, Bale, Vodnjan and Fažana. The olive tree of buža puntoža is of lush growth, strong trunk and branches. The canopy is tall, dense, with numerous branches filled with leaves. The leaf is clearly green, slightly darker in color than the leaf. The fruit is smaller than the Buža, and most often grows in clusters on long stalks. At the top of the fruit is a small protrusion after which the variety got its name. The quality of the oil is similar to the quality of Buža oil, but the smell is stronger, like the ripe fruit of an olive and an apple.
4.500 stabala
The Istrian bjelica olive variety is an autochthonous variety domesticated in Istria and Kvarner, it is also found in Italy and Slovenia, and it is characterized by a high content of polyphenols (more than 450 mg / kg). The tree is of medium lush growth, with a dense canopy that grows in height. The branches are long and firm, grow upright, and the fruiting branches are slightly bent or straight. The leaf is medium in size, broad, dark green in color. It is elliptical in shape and spirals. The fruit is ovoid, symmetrical, large. The relationship between the stone and the pulp is harmonious. This is one of the most resistant varieties to low temperatures and storms. It ripens late, mid or late November and has excellent, abundant and regular fertility.
1.250 stabala
Rosinjola variety is an autochthonous olive variety, which is grown in the southern part of Istria, especially in Rovinj, Vodnjan and Vrsar. Rozinjole olive tree, medium lush, branches spread, directed towards the light. The canopy is compact, round, dense, with numerous twigs and lots of leaves. Leaf dark green, bluntly rounded on the native branches, on mixed branches, the top of the leaf is slightly pointed. The fruit of rosinjola is symmetrical, medium-sized, ovoid, with numerous freckles, gives the oil an intense aroma, pronounced spicy taste and moderate bitterness.
700 stabala
The jujube olive variety is an old autochthonous variety, poorly represented in Istria. By planting 700 trees in one pure varietal olive grove, we are committed to the revitalization of the old variety, and thus we have become the largest producer of pure varietal oil Žižolera. The olive tree of the jujube variety is of lush growth, pronounced trunk development, broad canopy, curving solid and long branches, while the fruiting branches are flexible and dense. Leaf lanceolate, silvery-gray-olive, medium to large, ovate. The appearance and color of jujube fruit resembles jujube fruit, a fruit characteristic of Istria, and it is named after it.
2.100 stabala
Leccino is a foreign olive variety that has been grown in Istria since 1940, and arrived from Italy, the region of Tuscany. It is the most widespread olive variety in the world, which owes its extreme adaptability to different conditions. The tree is of lush growth, broad, of pronounced growth and development of trunk and canopy in height and girth.
The fruiting twigs are short, drooping, round-shaped canopy with firm and long branches which is why it is bushy in shape as an ornamental plant. Variety of early ripening (September, October), and is resistant to low temperatures. Leccino gives an oil of extraordinary quality, with a pronounced fresh, fruity flavour of olive fruit, and a mild and sweet taste, without a strong aroma.
650 stabala
In our olive grove, you will find only one other foreign variety, and that is the Tuscan variety pendolino, the main pollinator in the olive grove. The pendolino olive variety is determined by its medium-lush canopy with bent, drooping branches and lanceolate, compact leaves. The fruits are elongated, slightly asymmetrical, of medium weight. The fruiting branches are long, drooping, supple, bent towards the ground. Although the olive variety is pendolino, primarily grown as a pollinator, it still gives the oil extraordinary qualities and a fresh fruity scent.
It is important that only mechanical processes (sealing) are applied during the processing process, in a cold environment, without heating above 27 ° C and refining, which is a characteristic of the production of premium extra virgin olive oils.
The quality of oil is also ensured by pure varietal olive groves, integrated agriculture and organic fertilizer, and the application of innovations in cultivation.
Certain varieties have a higher amount of polyphenols such as Istrian bjelica (more than 450mg / kg) which directly affects the quality of the oil. The level of polyphenols is also elevated in other oils of autochthonous Istrian olive varieties and ranges from 300 to 450 mg / kg.
The time of harvest or the degree of ripeness of the fruit significantly determines the level of polyphenols in the olive fruit, so we start harvesting in early October when the fruit is still green, or when ripening has just begun.
Tests have shown that a higher proportion of phenolic substances, and thus higher quality, have oils in the south of Istria, in areas that are more deficient in water and have more sunny days a year.
When to start harvesting olives is a very important question. The decision on the time of harvest will significantly affect the quality and taste of the oil. The most prized oil, with a pleasant and fresh taste of olive fruit, was called Ex albis ulivis by the ancient Romans, and was obtained at an early harvest when the color of the fruit changed from green to green-yellow. Phenolic ingredients that give the oil flavor and aroma, with the ripening of olives are reduced, so it is very important to monitor the ripening process and make a timely decision on harvesting when the level of polyphenols in fresh olive fruit is highest. We start harvesting in the first days of October, weather permitting, and practice hand-picking olives to better preserve them, as the trees are still young.
The process of olive processing takes place in several carefully carried out phases: cleaning and washing the fruit, grinding, mixing the dough, separating the solid from the liquid part, and separating the oil mixture into oil and water. The ultimate goal of this process is to obtain oil from the olive fruit without causing changes in the chemical composition significant for the quality of the oil and its biological and nutritional value. Particular attention should be paid to the process of mixing the dough, because this is where a significant loss of polyphenols is possible, which will ultimately affect the quality of the oil and its further protection against oxidation.
After the processing, the oil is stored in the olive grove itself, in a fresh and airy space at a constant temperature in stainless steel (stainless steel) tanks connected to nitrogen gas, which prevents the oil from coming into contact with oxygen. In this way, the oxidation process is prevented and the valuable properties of the oil are preserved in the long run.
