Istria: A Sunset Olive Grove Experience with Picnic & Wine

On the gentle hills above Vodnjan, we spend an evening among centuries-old olive trees overlooking the Brijuni Islands. A slow walk through the grove leads into an expert olive-oil tasting, before the experience settles into its loveliest rhythm: local food, sparkling wine and conversation beneath the trees as the sun disappears over the Adriatic. 

The Experience

An Evening Among the Olive Trees

We begin with a relaxed walk through the family olive grove, discovering how the landscape, local ecology and changing seasons shape the oils produced here. Along the way, we learn about growing, harvesting and production, as well as Istria's olive-growing tradition stretching back more than two thousand years. The walk also passes ancient olive trees and a small thirteenth-century chapel hidden within the grove. 

Learning to Taste Olive Oil

As evening approaches, we gather for a guided tasting of extra virgin olive oils. Rather than simply dipping bread into oil, we learn how to recognise freshness, balance and quality, while discovering the different expressions of the family's selection. The experience is owner-led and deliberately conversational, keeping the tasting intimate and personal. 

A Sunset Picnic Beneath the Trees

The evening ends slowly beneath the olives. A light picnic brings together cured meats, local cheeses and seasonal fruit and vegetables sourced from the grove and neighbouring farms, with the oils tasted alongside different dishes. Sparkling wine is poured as the sun sets over the Brijuni Islands, and candlelight takes over as the first stars appear. 

What Awaits

• Early-evening walk through an Istrian olive grove
  
• Centuries-old olive trees
  
• Views towards the Brijuni Islands
  
• Visit to a thirteenth-century chapel
  
• Stories of Istria's two-thousand-year olive tradition
  
• Guided extra virgin olive oil tasting
  
• Light picnic of local Istrian produce
  
• Sparkling wine
  
• Sunset among the olive trees
  
  

Beyond the Experience

This sunset experience runs from June through September. During the cooler months, we offers a separate Grove Tour & Taste experience, with a countryside walk and educational olive-oil tasting accompanied by olives, fresh bread and even ice cream finished with extra virgin olive oil. 

An Invitation

There is something beautifully simple about spending an evening beneath the olive trees. We walk slowly through the grove, learn the stories held within this ancient landscape and discover how to taste its olive oil with greater attention. Then the table is set, the wine is poured and the light begins to soften over the islands—a quiet celebration of Istrian land, food and the pleasure of lingering a little longer.