Istria has been named the world’s best olive-growing region for the tenth time in Flos Olei, an international guide to extra virgin olive oil. The 2027 edition includes 63 producers from the Croatian peninsula among 500 selected from 57 countries. For Istrian olive oil, the result is striking for both the number of producers included and the scores they received.
Twenty Istrian producers earned at least 95 points. Two reached the maximum of 100, a result the region has achieved with two producers in the same edition for the first time.
Eighteen years near the top
Istria’s latest title continues a run that stretches across 18 editions of the guide. It was ranked the world’s best olive-growing region in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2027. In the other eight editions, it placed second.
That history puts the new result in perspective. Istria has remained among the guide’s top two olive-growing regions throughout the entire period, while the number of its producers included in the 2027 edition accounts for 12.6 per cent of all 500 entries.
The scores also tell a broader story than the regional title alone. With 20 producers receiving 95 points or more, the top of Istria’s list extends well beyond one or two standout estates.
Two producers score 100 for Istrian olive oil
Mate and Ipša both received 100 out of 100 points in Flos Olei 2027. It is the first time two Istrian producers have reached the guide’s maximum score in the same edition.
Mate, owned by Aleksandra Vekić, retained its perfect score. Ipša also reached 100 points and entered the guide’s Hall of Fame for the first time. The category is reserved for estates recognised for a long record of exceptional quality and a significant contribution to olive growing.
Olea B.B., from the Labin area, followed closely with 99 points. It was also one of 21 estates worldwide to receive a special award, earning The Made with Love Farm title in the guide’s The Best 2027 category. According to the announcement, that award considers more than an individual oil. It also recognises a producer’s consistency, identity and contribution to its area.
Just behind Olea B.B., O.P.G. Zubin, O.P.G. Matteo Belci and Monte Rosso each received 98 points. O.P.G. Oliveri, Červar, Negri Olive, Grubić, Primizia – San Rocco and Terra Eno Olea – Uljara Vodnjan were all awarded 97 points.
Seven new names enter the guide
The 2027 edition also brings seven Istrian producers into Flos Olei for the first time: O.P.G. Loris Bajkin, Uljara Baioco, Clai, Pavletić Cunj, O.P.G. Matia Simon Červar, O.P.G. Lucija from the Kalebić family and O.P.G. Nikolina Bijelić.
Their inclusion matters alongside the scores of the established producers. The regional result reflects a sizeable group of olive growers, and this year’s list includes both familiar names and producers appearing in the guide for the first time.
That breadth is part of what makes the ranking relevant beyond the awards themselves. A reader seeing Istria described as the world’s best olive-growing region might reasonably wonder whether the title rests on one exceptional producer. In the 2027 guide, the figures point to something wider: 63 entries from Istria, including 20 that scored at least 95 points.
What is Flos Olei?
Flos Olei is a guide to extra virgin olive oil created by journalist and food and wine critic Marco Oreggia and food and wine journalist Laura Marinelli. It features 500 producers from around the world and is published in several international editions.
Its regional ranking has placed Istria first or second for 18 consecutive editions. This year, the two perfect scores give the result another distinction, while the seven new entries show that the list of recognised Istrian producers continues to change.
For visitors interested in the food of the region, Istrian olive oil is more than a product mentioned on a menu. The Flos Olei results offer a glimpse of the people producing it and the range of estates represented across the peninsula. They also help explain why Istrian olive oil holds such a prominent place in the region’s gastronomic identity.
