The renowned international guide to olive oil Flos Olei published a new edition for 2018. One Istrian olive oil producer placed among the 20 best olive oils in the world!
The top-quality product of Enio Zubin from Umag was awarded the title of the finest oil in the category of monosort and medium fruity oils, reports Glas Istre on October 4, 2017.
The latest edition of the guide written and published by Marco Oreggia features a total of 77 Croatian oils, making for an improvement compared to last year when only 66 made the cut. Out of the total number, 75 oils originate from Istria, while the remaining two are produced in Dalmatia, in the areas of Split and Dubrovnik. The majority of featured Istrian olive oils are produced in the wider Vodnjan area (13), followed by Buje area (10).
When it comes to the top 20 list, Italian oils take the lead, followed by the Spanish oils and the mentioned Istrian gem produced in Umag.
Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria Tourist Board, expressed his satisfaction. “After the extraordinary results achieved in Istria in recent years, especially in 2016 and 2017 when the region was awarded the title of the best olive oil destination in the world, Istrian olive oil makers have yet more reason to rejoice in 2018. When it comes to the best extra virgin olive oils, Istria again places on top, for the third year in a row. Just like the last two years, Istria made brilliant results in all segments. We sent a total of 79 samples for organoleptic analysis, and 75 of them met the criteria of the professional international judging panel. Last year, Istria placed first on the list, but with 60 participating olive oil makers, which means that 15 new oil makers got featured in the Flos Olei guide this year”, said Ivošević proudly.
Enio Zubin manages 40 hectares of olive groves; his first priority is to retain an ecological way of life, not only to amass financial profit. “I wasn’t expecting to win, as I placed first in the same category in 2015 with an oil made from our indigenous črnica sort. I was awarded 96 points last year, and I can’t even believe I got 97 points this time. I knew that last year was extremely good, but it was good for others as well”, said Zubin, sharing his satisfaction over the fact that his oil will make great sales all over Europe. Profits aside, he’s also pleased a growing number of people is using olive oil nowadays, as he sees it as a beneficial nutriment. “Making olive oil is a demanding job, but I was born with ‘olive laurels’ on my head. My grandpa and my father were both farmers and I’ve known what it means to live in the field since I was little. Now, the nature is awarding us for all our efforts, and by us I mean my whole family that got into the business”, Zubin said.
Congratulations to Mr Zubin!
Translation of excerpts from Glas Istre.
