Ritossa Olive Oil represents the distillation of six hundred years of history—of a grove, a family and a region. The gnarled roots of the Ritossa groves have persevered through war and natural disasters, through changes of climate and country, and under the rule of warrior princes, wealthy merchant kings and modern despots.

It is our honor to bring you the fruits of this ancient lineage, as we invite you to experience time through taste.

The region of Istria has had many owners and each has prized its fertile olive groves, the oldest of which can be  traced back over 2,000 years. Now part of Croatia, Istria was once of Italy and before that the province of  Venetian kings. Regardless of its nominal owners, Istria has always been the true servant of its olive oil.  Because of its favored location on the Adriatic Sea, the Istrian olive groves have been protected by the water’s moderating  effects from harsh temperature changes that have periodically wrecked  olive regions further inland.

The culture of Istrian olive production has also prized quality over quantity, routinely pruning trees to achieve  the best flavor rather than the greatest yield, and harvesting to the desires of the palate – when olives are ripe –  and not to the demands of the market. There are known to be more varietals of olive oil than there are of wine,   each with unique characteristics. Istria’s latitude and location by the sea serve to enhance the  golden green  color with a unique sharp flavor that provides an aromatic scent of wild herbs, almonds and radicchio. 

RITOSSA Olive Grove, circa 1410

Porec, Istria

Oil Painting 16x20 by Joe Maracic