Chiavalon in Vodnjan: olive oils, mill tours and tastings

Brothers Sandi and Tedi Chiavalon run a family estate with 40 hectares of olive groves and 15,000 trees in Vodnjan. They mill early-harvest olives on the estate and welcome visitors for a short free tasting or a choice of guided programmes booked in advance.

Early harvest, milled on the estate

Sandi Chiavalon began developing the family’s olive oil business in 1997 and was later joined by his brother Tedi. The present mill was completed in 2020. Olives are harvested and processed by cultivar within a few hours, in a two-phase system at 19 to 21 °C and under a controlled atmosphere. The separately milled oils are then assembled into blends.

The farm joined the Slow Food Farms network in 2025. Olive pomace is composted, stones are used for heating and two solar arrays supply part of the energy needed on the estate.

Five blends and one single-varietal oil

Ex Albis and Organic combine Vodnjan Buža, Carbonazza, Istrian Bianchera, Rosignola and Morasola. Romano blends Buža with Rosignola, Atilio combines Carbonazza and Istrian Bianchera, and Mlado is made from Istrian Bianchera and Leccino. Istra is the only single-varietal oil in the current range and is made from Istrian Bianchera.

Tasting the oils side by side reveals how cultivars and proportions alter fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. A guide’s score cannot say which oil will suit a particular dish or palate, so tasting is more useful here than choosing solely by an award or label.

Free tasting and guided tours

A short tasting in the shop is free. Bookable programmes add a walk through the grove and mill, followed by a guided olive oil tasting; some also include Istrian food, wine or tapas. Advance booking is required for these programmes.

The mill is at Salvela 50 in Vodnjan. Free parking and an EV charging point are available beside the shop. The currently published hours are 8 am to 8 pm from Monday to Friday and 9 am to 2 pm on Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Confirming the time before setting out is advisable, particularly for a guided visit.

Flos Olei: scores between 95 and 99

Chiavalon received 95 points in Flos Olei in 2020, 2021 and 2022, followed by 97 in 2023, 99 in 2024 and 2025, and 98 in 2026. The 2025 edition also gave the estate its THE BEST distinction in the Azienda Green category. These are producer scores, not ratings for an individual oil.

Distance from Bale: 9 minutes driving (9 km)

Olive oil score in the Flos Olei guide: 2020 95, 2022 95, 2021 95, 2023 97, 2024 99, 2025 99, 2026 98

Working time on Saturdays: from 09:00, to 14:00

Address: Salvela 50, 52215 Vodnjan, Istria, Croatia

Working hours from Monday to Friday: from 08:00, to 20:00

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