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.