After almost 11 years of operating in a space in the old town center of Vodnjan, the family business Brist Olive opened its doors to visitors in early July in a new location set within their own olive grove, overlooking the Brijuni archipelago.
As they revealed, the new space is the result of great effort and investment by the entire family, supported by EU funds through the Rural Development Measure. Primarily, it represents a major step forward in terms of logistics, as the oil cellar, packaging and bottling area, processing space for agricultural products (mainly table olives), and a sales area with capacity for guided tastings for smaller and larger groups are now all in one place.
It is located in the immediate vicinity of Vodnjan, and the space is reached by a short drive along a maintained road through the olive groves, which in itself is an experience.
"You arrive at a place of peace, far enough from the main road, with a beautiful view of the sea, where we will prepare a guided tasting and presentation of all the oils and other products for you. Everyone is welcome, and no announcement is needed for visits during working hours," say Lena Puhar O’Grady and Paul O‘Grady from Brist.
In addition to daily walk-in tastings, Brist offers special tastings for organized groups—Discovery, Immersion, and Deep-dive Masterclass—and their signature tour for individual visitors: ‘An evening under olives‘, with an interpretive walk and picnic by candlelight under the starry sky during the summer months, which are often sold out in advance.
The space is decorated in a minimalist and functional style, respecting the recognizable colors of the Brist branding, and the building’s facade features an original mural by the well-known young Pula artist Vedran Štimac.
"Since during the construction and planning of the building we had to follow the framework of the EU project, I thought about how to give such a simple building character and recognition. We are located in a rural environment, but our story also has its contemporary, urban character. I found a connection to Vodnjan in the reference to Vodnjan street art, that is, the murals for which Vodnjan is known. The Pula muralist and illustrator, the versatile artist Vedran Štimac, who works under the name @politebastart, was an excellent choice. My vision to create a female figure as an allegory of the oil tasting experience, embodying all the aromas of this wonderful product, quickly came to life in Vedran‘s creative execution. We named her Luna, because she was created on the night of the so-called strawberry moon phenomenon, when Vedran sketched the first draft on the facade. Luna became so dear to us that we transferred her onto new merch—bags made of quality organic cotton, and she will also find her place in the branding of the cosmetics line with Brist oil that we are developing and will present in the autumn."
The new space also provides infrastructure for various more intimate events, such as a recent painting workshop in the olive grove led by local artist Amanda Maden, as well as a wedding.
"We are slowly preparing for the new harvest expected in October, monitoring the development of the fruit and looking forward to the young oil. There is still time until then, and so much has to come together for healthy fruit in sufficient quantity to be brought to processing... Summer is a time of tense anticipation for every olive grower. But we are hardworking, we work diligently, precisely, and devotedly, and we welcome every guest with warmth and a desire to share all the knowledge and passion we feel for this calling of ours," they said from Brist.
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