ZLATNA ŠOLTANKA

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The perfection and complexity of the taste and aroma of the super-variety Šoltanka, the love and passion with which Šoltan olive growers make their oil, the knowledge that has been passed on and perfected for centuries, render a unique combination of circumstances for production of Šoltan olive oil.

WHO PRODUCES ŠOLTAN OLIVE OIL?

Šoltan olive growers, relatively small certified ecological family farms, all in the system of protection of origin:

Anka and Zlatko Burić are the pioneers of Šolta in cultivating organic olive trees. Their groves currently have 150 Šoltanka variety trees and 100 Oblica variety trees. Both Ankica and Zlatko are retired and spend every free moment in a beautiful olive grove overlooking the neighboring Vis and Hvar islands. Anka is an educator and a chef, and Zlatko is an engineer of architecture. Their wish for their grandson to eventually establish his permanent residence on “the most beautiful island in the world”.

The largest olive oil producer in Šolta, Filip Marinković, a maritime engineer, with 300 Šoltanka trees, and 200 Oblica, which he planted and cultivated together with his mother Dragica and father Marin, excellent olive growers who spent their entire lives cultivating olives. His goal is to have 1,000 trees and to excel as a professional olive oil evaluator.

Alen Jakupčević with 240 trees has been an organic olive oil producer since 2011. He has truely dived in cultivation of olive trees 15 years ago when he fell in love and got married to a resident of Šolta: he completed training for olive grower, winegrower, and winemaker. His ideal is living from agriculture and tourism, which is also a practical solution for living on the island of Šolta.

Andro Purtić has a master’s degree in history and lives in Vienna. He now comes to Šolta more and more frequently to take care of his small olive grove with 120 trees exclusively of the Šoltanka variety. He wants to continue and improve the production of completely healthy olive oil.

Bernardin Peroš, former university professor, dean of the faculty and vice-rector of the University of Split, today professor emeritus, in addition to his profession, has always been involved in olive growing on the family farm. He is in the last year of the transition to organic production. Nowadays he cultivates 140 Šoltanka trees and 80 old Oblica trees. He transferred his professional ambitions to olive growing with the aim of leaving a mark in this field as well.

Nikola Cecić Karuzić, Mayor of Šolta for the third term, otherwise a mechanical engineer, spent his professional life in management positions in the metal industry. His family has been engaged in olive growing since they can remember, and he and his wife Marinka keep 200 Šoltanka variety trees. He is in the last year of the transition to organic production. Nikola’s goal is for his son and many other youth from Šolta to get involved in the production of organic extra virgin premium oil.

“Our olive oils have emerged from a relatively small, but climatically and geologically complex and diverse area of the island of Šolta. Now you have the opportunity to be creative and enjoy these oils in hundreds of combinations with top dishes” as stated at the promotion in Split. Zlatko Burić, a member of the agile olive association “Zlatna Šoltanka” that has acquired the European protection of the originality for Šoltan olive oil in 2016, points out: “Some of the oldest defined goals of the Association” Zlatna Šoltanka ” are to affirm Dalmatia as a top olive growing region, improving production, and raising quality of Dalmatian olive oils. We searched for and found like-minded people: enthusiastic, ambitious and diligent Dalmatian olive growers and experts, who have already been working in their own way on the same goal, and with whom we have developed the brand and perfected production.

HOW IS ŠOLTAN OLIVE OIL PRODUCED?

Growing olives requires a Year-round dedication and work. Perfectly environmentally friendly and beneficial to human health olive oil can be obtained only by careful observation and prevention of all adversity and dangers that occur in the olive grove from the movement of vegetation to fruit ripening. Favorable climatic conditions are another important factor. Careful processing of olives into oil and proper storage of oil are further indispensable factors for obtaining top quality olive oil.

Šoltan olive growers pick their olives manually. Thus, only healthy and undamaged fruits are immediately selected for oil production. Collected juicy and fresh olives are transferred to one of the oil mills on the island for processing the same day, and the resulting olive oil is stored in stainless steel containers until poured into labeled bottles. All these actions take place completely and only on the island of Šolta, and only closed and labeled with protection of origin bottles are allowed to leave the island.

Olive groves are scattered all over the island of Šolta, all the way from the sea shore to the glades in the middle of the island. Olive trees were planted mainly on less valuable terrains, on rocky and steep glades. Although the varieties Oblica and Šoltana are the prominent ones, different microclimates on the island render its unique mark, which is why these oils have many different olfaction and gustation shades. The most interesting oils are the ones obtained from olive fruits harvested in several different locations! Organic production, which is manifested in the abandonment of the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, gives healthy fruits with a strong cellular structure. This is proven by numerous international awards for Šolta olive oil produced by mixing several different bio-oils of members of our Association. Commitment to quality at the expense of quantity, controlled production, packaging, sales and promotion combined with the variety of fragrant and tasty components in Šoltan olive oil, with unsurpassed aromas of Šoltanka variety, are responsible for playfulness and top quality of this perfect product. The production area of “Šoltan Olive Oil” is exclusively and guaranteed to be a small, rocky island of Šolta in central Dalmatia in front of the ancient city of Split.

Even nowadays it is not certain whether the Greeks or Romans brought an olive tree to Šolta or they found it here, cultivated it, and distributed it throughout the Mediterranean. We are convinced that the olive tree has always been a part of Šolta’s vegetation!

GUARANTEE OF EXCELLENCE
Šoltan olive oil has no additives, spices or oils from other fruits, it is pure juice from the olive fruit. Its production is controlled by an accredited Biotechnicon control station from Split starting already in the olive grove; it controls the production in the oil mill, storing the oil, and finally bottling and labeling.

Olive oil is protected by the European Union Protected Designation of Origin PDO. In addition to the Croatian inspections, the EU Commission’s control services supervise the production, storage, and quantities of olive oil produced, and additionally monitors organic production. The Presidency and the bodies of the Association make great efforts ensuring that each of the manufacturers do their best to provide a joint product of the top quality.

Special recognition and proof of quality are prestigious regional and international awards that have been awarded to Šoltan olive oil for many years: From 2012 to 2017, members of the Golden Šoltanka Association receive either a gold or silver medal: in 2017 New York gold medal at NYIOOC – world’s largest olive oil competition, in 2018 the CHAMPION title at the biggest regional olive oil competition “NOĆNJAK”, in 2019 the crown of all awards so far is the “BEST IN CLASS” New York title at the NYIOOC for the best eco-friendly, monosort (of only one olive variety – Šoltanka), medium intensity olive oil in the world .903 olive oil producers from 26 countries participated in this prestigious competition, and Croatian olive oils were extremely successful! These recognitions and awards are a guarantee of the continuous top quality of Šoltan olive oil.

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