In this year's edition of the world’s only extra virgin olive oil guide, Flos Olei, Istria reaped great success. The guide classified a whopping 60 Istrian olive growers and oil producers who, with regard to the quantity and quality of their products, enabled Istria to be proclaimed the world’s highest quality olive region!

Istrian olive growers appeared alongside the 500 best olive oils from around the world, meaning that Istria has a share of as much as 12 % of world production of top class extra virgin olive oils. This worldwide success certainly contributes to the branding of Istria as a gourmet destination.

Flos Olei 2017 evaluated a total of 1,800 olive oils from all parts of the world, and according to the results, Istria has exceeded the success it achieved in 2016, when, with the 50 olive oils listed, as well as this year, it was the most represented world region in this catalogue. The world’s olive growers capital, Tuscany, with 59 oils classified was the runner-up behind Istria, whilst third place, with 49 listed oils, belongs to Spanish Andalusia. Therefore, both in the 2016 and 2017 edition of Flos Olei, Istria surpassed two of the most famous world olive oil regions.

The Italian agricultural farm Pruneti from Tuscany won the highest number of points, 98 out of a possible 100, whilst a very high score, 97, was achieved by the Ipša family from Oprtalj and Olea B. B. from Rabac. The Matteo Belci Family Farm (Vodnjan), Stancija Meneghetti (Bale), Vodnjan's oil producer Tonin and Enio Zubin from Umag won an extraordinary 96 points. The excellent score of 95 points was won by Franco Basiaco (Buje), Chiavalon (Vodnjan) and Giancarlo Zigante (Livade). It should be noted that there are also 10 Istrian oil producers who have been classified as producing "really excellent oils" winning 95-100 points, and a total of 17 olive oils from Istria were classified within the category of "excellent oils" with 90-94 points!

In addition to the total outstanding classification of Istrian extra virgin oils, Flos Olei 2017 brought two champions or world champions to Istria: oil from the frantoio by Klaudio Ipša from Livade shared the title of best extra virgin olive oil from a mono variety with an intense fruity aroma, while the Mate Transparenza Marina oil, produced by the Agrofin from Savudrija, was declared best extra virgin olive oil with a moderately fruity aroma.

The important news is that the Flos Olei 2017 guide also listed 12 new Istrian olive growers, and those listed in the guide in previous years achieved even better positions this year proving the excellent olive growing year in Istria, but also the improvement of technological processes and elaboration of the olives used.

Classifications in Flos Olei, together with the great success, began in 2005 and since then, Istrian olive oil has continued to prove its quality. The 2016 edition of Flos Olei listed 50 olive growers and producers from Istria, whilst 56 and 52 of them were listed in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The 2017 edition includes olive oils from 50 countries and five continents. On the 864 pages, in addition to the classified olive growers and producers, the Flos Olei guide also provides information on the history, culture and production of the olive oils in the countries they come from, and besides Croatia oils can also be found from France, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina...