Brist: olive oils and guided tastings in Vodnjan

Closed. Opens on today 10:00.

Brist in Vodnjan makes five extra virgin olive oils. You can taste them in the shop without booking, while olive-grove visits require a reservation.

From Delicato to oil from century-old trees

Delicato is the gentlest of Brist’s five oils. Buža Puntoža, Leccino and Pendolino give it a fresh, approachable profile, while Sta Margherita is made solely from Vodnjan Buža. Intenso combines Istrian Bianchera, Rosignola, Morasola, Frantoio and Carbonazza for more pronounced bitterness and pungency. Oleum brings together all ten cultivars grown in the grove in an oil for everyday use.

Exclusive Selection is made in limited quantities from Vodnjan Buža and Rosignola picked from century-old trees. In the 2023 edition of the EVOOLEUM guide, it scored 93 points and shared the highest mark among ten selected limited-production oils.

Century-old trees at the heart of the grove

Silvano Puhar began restoring 57 century-old Buža trees in 2002. They became the core of the Santa Margherita grove, which now holds more than 2,500 trees of ten cultivars across approximately ten hectares above Vodnjan.

The family story begins with grandmother Ana from Murgani. Today, Brist is run by Silvano, Lena and Paul. The restored trees remain visible in the range: Vodnjan Buža goes into Sta Margherita and, together with Rosignola, into the limited Exclusive Selection.

Each cultivar has its own harvest window

The ten cultivars are not picked at the same time. The early hand harvest is scheduled separately for each one, and the olives reach a local mill three to six hours after picking to be processed at about 23 °C. The oil is then kept in stainless-steel tanks at 16 °C, in darkness and under nitrogen.

That cultivar-by-cultivar rhythm preserves distinctions that emerge during tasting. It shows how variety, harvest timing and blending shape each oil.

Taste in the shop or walk through the grove

All five oils can be tasted free of charge at Brist’s Vodnjan shop, without advance booking and with an explanation of their differences. It is a practical way to decide whether the gentle Delicato, the more robust Intenso or another oil best suits your palate. The shop is wheelchair accessible.

Olive-grove visits must be booked. From June to September, the three-hour evening programme combines a walk to the Chapel of St Margaret, a guided tasting and a meal of local food and wine. From October to May, Brist offers a two-hour daytime walk with a tasting and small bites. Both programmes welcome families, and dogs are allowed.

Distance from Bale: 10 minutes driving (8.7 km)

Olive oil score in the Flos Olei guide: 2020 92, 2021 92

Address: Antonio Smareglia 115/1, 52215 Vodnjan, Istria, Croatia

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