A Weekend in Croatia with the Olive Oil Times

A blissful weekend talking nothing but olive oil on an island off the Croatian coast? Yes, please!

This September I was fortunate to attend the Olive Oil Times first ever Croatia Symposium, held in Postira, on the beautiful Adriatic island of Brač. Two days packed with tasting sessions and enlightening panel discussions on the future of olive oil in Croatia.

Attendees included producers and industry professionals from Croatia and beyond, including Slovenia, Montenegro, Italy, and the US. We visited the local mill at the Postira Agricultural Cooperative and took a tour through Dol, an ancient eco village nestled in the hillside folds of a stunning valley on the island, where olive trees growing on nearly vertical slopes have been harvested for centuries.

Leading the topic discussions was food technologist and IOC-certified panel leader Mirela Žanetić, of the Institute for Adriatic Crops in Split, with tastings guided by international olive oil instructor Carola Dümmer Medina of Chile. We were fortunate to hear from professors and scientists leading the fields of agriculture, environmental management, and bio-engineering, who addressed climate change, advances in sustainability, and innovations in the field of crop management. Marketing and tourism rounded out the lectures with discussions on branding and possibilities for the establishment of a new tier of Adriatic oils.

You can read more about the symposium here.