Chiavalon Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vodnjan

Amazing experience!! The family are lovely and so welcoming. Truly unique and very informative.

Ivana and her colleagues were AMAZING. We arrived a half hour earlier than expected due to a (fortunate) bus mixup from Rovinj and we ended up getting there just as they opened. They were very friendly and kind, invited us in and set up chairs to rest in under the shade (it was a very hot day) while we waited for the rest of our scheduled group to arrive. Ivana is very knowledgeable and fun; during her lecture, we learned so much about the history of olive oil production, including the proper tasting knowledge necessary to verify for ourselves what constitutes a real olive oil product vs. a fake one. We were never pressured to accept any particular oils as legitimate, but rather were highly encouraged to taste for ourselves and to arm ourselves with knowledge of the world olive oil market (this was highly informative and highly shocking, and we will be MUCH MORE careful about what brands we buy). The meal was lovely (all local cheeses, wine, salami, and bread) and we sampled four different oils in their adjoining store. Ultimately, we purchased 6 bottles at an extremely reasonable price, enjoyed ourselves immensely, and learned an incredible amount. Took about 2 hours total. Worth every kuna.

The best!

We participated in an olive oil tasting session at the Chiavalon estate. It was a terrific way to spend a few hours during our visit to Croatia. Tedi Chiavalon - one of the co-owner brothers - led a highly informative discussion on the history of the family and the estate, the process for manufacturing olive oil, and what it takes to make a bona fide high quality extra virgin olive oil. We then sampled their product which is one of the best in the world. We will never look at olive oil the same again!

We had an absolutely fantastic time today. Our guide/host was Ivana who I would like to thank for being so patient with us (we had two very noisy and at times disruptive young girls with us). My wife and I learned a great deal about olive oil, how to look out for the real deal, how to store and cook with it. A real surprise was your shop and the heavenly jams and honey! Also thanks for the free cherry picking and eating at the end. What a bonus. Adults and children loved it and I highly recommend a visit to anyone, single, couples or family.