Last year, we opened a new store. We renovated an old building, created a new oil cellar, and are planning further expansion, including the construction of a tasting room with around 50 seats, for which we are in the process of obtaining a building permit, says Velimir Jurić, a member of the Board.
Where once there was a burned-down site, beautiful olive groves now spread out. This is the land of Oio Vivo, an olive oil producer from Vodnjan, operating since 2005 when they took over land that had been repeatedly devastated by fire. They entered this large venture and transformed it into agricultural land.
Velimir Jurić explained that, with their own resources and the support of the local community, they decided to take on new challenges by founding a company based on the principles of socially responsible business. Continuous improvement, care for quality, and the application of innovations in collaboration with expert institutions form the foundation of their entire work.
Global Awards
Oio Vivo is proud to have won international awards for Žižolera, a special variety of extra virgin olive oil. This old variety from southern Istria, once nearly extinct with only a few trees left among local producers, has been revitalized. The company financed the production of planting material and now has 690 trees of Žižolera. It has proven to be an exceptional variety, particularly well-suited to the local climate. The oil it produces offers everything needed for an exquisite olive oil experience.
“Žižolera has proven to be outstanding. Last year, it was the winner, the first gold for Istria and Vodnjan in a competition held in Italy, which is no longer a local event. Our Žižolera was the absolute winner in the monosort oils category at a competition held in Monte Carlo this June,” Jurić shared.
This renowned oil also won gold in New York, London, and Tokyo, but most importantly, it embodies all the qualities that a great olive oil should have.
“It has both spiciness and fruitiness, fragrance, and color. It is very distinctive. Even people who know nothing about olive oil recognize Žižolera as the best. Interestingly, it also has bitterness, which is beautifully balanced, giving it uniqueness. So, Žižolera has everything a top-tier olive oil should have – a wonderful balance of everything,” Jurić added.
The Bible of Olive Oils
And it’s not just Žižolera when talking about Oio Vivo olive oils. Their oils have brought home numerous gold medals from international competitions, and in the “Olive Oil Bible” Flos Olei 2019, they were ranked among the top 20 best up-and-coming young companies. Flos Olei is a guide to the best olive oils worldwide.
Oio Vivo produces five domestic, indigenous varieties: Istrian Bjelica, Vodnjan Buža, Buža Puntoža, Rosignola, and Žižolera, as well as two Italian varieties, Leccino and Pendolino.
“These ‘Italian’ varieties, Leccino and Pendolino, are widely cultivated throughout Istria, so they are also special to us. We have several sales channels. This retail location is particularly special, as visitors are always happy to see us. Wholesale to stores and restaurants is also active. While we are not present in large retail centers, our online shop is very popular throughout the EU. We also have distributors. Annually, we produce 22,000 liters of oil. We work hard, with 10 permanent employees covering everything from retail and sales to olive grove maintenance,” Jurić concluded.
(Published in the Sunday edition of Glas Istre: VODNJANSKI OIO VIVO: Tekuće zlato nastalo na zgarištu osvaja svijet. Posebno je na cijeni ulje od stare MONOSORTNE VRSTE JUŽNE ISTRE)
VODNJAN’S OIO VIVO: Liquid Gold Born from the Ashes Conquers the World
