Flos Olei 2025

Istria Among the World's Top Olive-Growing Regions for 16 Consecutive Years

Istria in the Flos Olei 2025 Guide
In its sixteenth edition, the prestigious Flos Olei guide once again places Istria at the very top, ranking it among the world’s leading olive-growing regions based on the number of featured producers. Continuing its proud tradition, Istria is represented by an impressive 73 olive oil producers - four more than last year. This achievement is particularly remarkable considering the guide showcases the finest olive oils from across the globe, spanning 57 olive-growing nations on five continents.

Istrian olive growers have proudly secured their place among the world’s top 500, contributing an impressive 14.6% of the total selection. Even more remarkable is the fact that many of them have achieved even better results than last year, a clear reflection of their continuous commitment to enhancing quality and embracing the latest scientific and technological innovations in olive cultivation.

Flos Olei, often referred to as the atlas of the world’s finest olive oils, is curated by renowned journalist and eno-gastronomy critic Marco Oreggia, in collaboration with Laura Marinelli, a journalist specializing in eno-gastronomy. This internationally acclaimed guide is published in three editions: Italian-English, Italian-Chinese, and Italian-Spanish.

Hall of Fame
The Flos Olei guide gives special recognition to its prestigious Hall of Fame category, reserved for producers who have achieved an extraordinary level of excellence. These elite estates are honoured with lifetime recognition and the highest possible score of 100/100. In the 2025 edition, only nine estates worldwide earned this distinction. Among them, for the second time in history, is the olive oil produced by the Mate olive mill from Savudrija, owned by Aleksandra Vekić. Joining this Istrian estate in the Hall of Fame are three outstanding producers from Spain and five from Italy.

The Best
The Flos Olei guide gives special attention to another top-tier category - The Best, which highlights a carefully selected group of estates. This year, 24 outstanding producers from around the world have been recognized for their excellence across a variety of categories. These awards are not solely based on the organoleptic qualities of the olive oils presented, but rather on each producer's long-term commitment to quality and the positive impact they bring to their local community and region.

Since it is well known that the organoleptic properties of extra virgin olive oil naturally begin to diminish after several months, the Flos Olei guide intentionally shifts the focus from individual oils to the producers themselves. Through this, the guide awards special distinctions such as "Estate of the Year," "Emerging Estate," "Green Estate," "Organic Production," "Ecological Sustainability," "Importer of the Year," "Biological Production," and more - celebrating not just the oil, but the enduring dedication behind it.

Istria has been honoured with two The Best 2025 recognitions, awarded to:
· Chiavalon from Vodnjan, which received the Azienda Green (Green Estate) award and
· Olea BB from Labin, which received the Azienda del Cuore (Estate with Heart) award.

About the Success of Istrian Extra Virgin Olive Oils:
16 Years at the Pinnacle of the World
The remarkable success of Istrian olive oils in Flos Olei over the past 16 years reflects a continuous journey of growth and excellence - consistently rising to the highest international and competitive standards. Since Istria’s first inclusion in this prestigious guide back in 2010, the region has firmly established itself as one of the world’s best olive-growing areas. This year’s outstanding results speak for themselves: an impressive 73 Istrian producers have been ranked among the top 500 worldwide.

It’s important to note that nearly a thousand samples from around the globe are submitted for evaluation each year. These are rigorously assessed by a professional panel of experienced and certified tasters, judging solely on the organoleptic qualities of the oils.

“The fact that as many as 73 Istrian olive oils rank among the best in the world is truly remarkable. It’s important to highlight that in no other economic sector, sport, discipline, or international competition does Croatia achieve such success as it does with Istrian extra virgin olive oil. This is something we are rightfully very proud of. Among the highlights, the Mate olive mill has earned the highest score for the second year in a row, alongside two prestigious The Best awards for Chiavalon from Vodnjan and Olea BB from Labin. This once again proves that Istria produces a world-class product,” emphasized Denis Ivošević, director of the Istria Tourist Board, during the presentation of the 2025 guide.

More about the Flos Olei 2025 Guide
In addition to detailed production data, each country featured in the guide is introduced with a rich historical and cultural overview. Among the 500 estates whose oils received awards, the guide highlights their finest product-carefully evaluated by an official panel of expert tasters. Beyond these, an additional 229 extra virgin olive oils from the included estates are also listed, bringing the total number of reviewed samples to an impressive 729.

While the Mediterranean remains the heart of olive oil production, quality oils are increasingly emerging from more distant regions that are gaining international recognition year after year. Notable examples include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, several Mediterranean countries such as Croatia, France, Slovenia, and Morocco are experiencing significant growth in the production of high-quality olive oils. Looking ahead, Marco Oreggia, the edition’s editor, expresses optimism for the sector’s revival through tighter control over production areas and volumes, stronger regulations to combat fraud, and enhancements to the global olive oil classification system.

The guide’s authors emphasize that the current state of olive growing in Croatia reflects a strong spirit of innovation in both cultivation and production, accompanied by a significant improvement in the quality of the final product. Olive growing is thriving, supported by a favourable climate and excellent soil composition, with deep-rooted traditions along the coast. Since joining the European Union, this positive growth trend has only accelerated. Over the past decade, average extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) production has stabilized at around 4,000 tons. However, between 2023 and 2024, production declined from 4,400 to 2,000 tons. Meanwhile, domestic consumption remains steady at 8,000 tons, though per capita consumption is still relatively low at 1.8 kg annually.

Given this context, it’s no surprise that 73 olive growers from Istria have produced such outstanding extra virgin olive oils that they have earned well-deserved inclusion in the latest, sixteenth edition of the Flos Olei guide.

Istria’s Ranking in the Flos Olei Guide Over the Years
Best extra virgin olive oil region in the world:
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024
»» Istria has claimed the title of the world’s best region eight times

Second best extra virgin olive oil region in the world:
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2025
»» Istria has claimed the title of the world’s second-best region eight times

Learn everything about the Flos Olei guide on the official website: www.flosolei.com

Istrian olive growers in the Flos Olei guide:

Mate 100
Olea BB 99
Ipša 99
OPG Chiavalon 99
OPG Zubin 98
OPG Matteo Belci 98
OPG Oliveri 97
Negri Olive 97
Monte Rosso 97
Červar 97
OPG Damir Vanđelić 97
OPG Buršić 96
Grubić 96
San Rocco - Primizia 96
Wine and Olive Oil Cuj 96
Terra Eno Olea 96
Tonin 95
Uljara Al Torcio 95
Meneghetti 95
Zigante 94
OPG Marko Geržinić 94
Oleum Maris 93
OPG Kristjan Brajko 93
OPG Giuseppe Lupieri - Cadenela 92
Vergal 92
OPG Filip Čeko 92
OPG Andrea Brečević - Rheos 92
Zajednički Obrt Vina Cattunar 92
OPG Vošten 92
Ulja Komarija 91
OPG Loris Bajkin 91
OPG Bodiš 91
OPG Anton Stojnić 90
OPG Valter Šarić - Olea Prima 90
OPG Turinela 90
OPG Petar Palčić 89
Valencano 89
OPG Dean Fabijančić 89
E Pluribus Unum 89
Agrolaguna 88
Dobravac 88
OPG Mario Crnobori 88
OPG Olea Magica - Adriano Nadišić 88
Ursaria 88
Olea Kalden - OPG Katica Kaldenhoff 88
Maslinici Mlun-Mlvn 87
Đani Lubiana 87
Grozić 87
Uljara Baioco 87
Kalčić 87
Mas 87
Stancija Collis 86
Agroturizam Fatorić 86
OPG Josip Franković 85
OPG Vilma Brčić 85
Kalavojna 85
Torač 85
OPG. Arula 85
OPG Valter Ristić 85
O. & I. Ban 84
OPG Grebac 84
Olivo Monte Cucco 84
Mare Nostrum 84
Latini - OPG Slavica Stanić 83
Poljoprivredna zadruga maslinara Istre 83
OPG Sakač 83
OPG Alen Bernobić 83
Baldaš 83
OPG Vrh 82
OPG Roberto Rota 81
OPG Jurica Martinčić 80
Del Campo 80
O. Rossi 80

»» www.flosolei.com/aziende-in-guida-2025
»» www.flosolei.com