Rikato Olive Oil: A Way of Life Bottled in Olive Oil

For Petar and Matea Rikato, the olive tree is much more than a source of precious fruit. It is part of their everyday lives, family history, professional ambitions and shared future. Their brand, Rikato Olive Oil, has quite literally grown out of the olive groves of Istria. Behind it lie experience and family tradition, but also a modern entrepreneurial vision aimed at bringing added value to high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

The foundations of the brand, which was presented at the 14th International Taste the Mediterranean Festival, were laid by Petar Rikato. A graduate agricultural engineer, Petar has been involved in olive growing for more than two decades. During that time, he gradually developed production through his family farm, gained valuable experience and continuously refined his knowledge of olive cultivation. However, a turning point in the brand's development came in 2020, when his wife Matea, an economics graduate with an MBA in marketing, joined the business. The family enterprise then began to take on a new identity: a logo and distinctive bottle designs were created for a collection of five carefully developed extra virgin olive oil blends, along with a strategic plan for market positioning and communication.

"Our goal was not simply to create a product, but to convey the emotion and authenticity of a young family that has built its life and business among olive trees. Every bottle reflects the values our family lives by every day: a connection with nature, love for the land, dedication to quality and the enjoyment of life's simple yet meaningful moments," says Matea Rikato, a Zagreb native who moved to Istria around ten years ago for love of Petar. Their love story began almost symbolically, beneath the branches of an olive tree in the grove that still surrounds their family home, where they now live with their two sons.

The Rikato family cultivates approximately 2,000 olive trees, some in their own groves and others on leased land. Their olive groves stretch across southern and western Istria and are home to more than twenty olive varieties. A particularly important role is played by indigenous Istrian varieties such as Rosignola, Buža Ženska, Plominka, Karbonaca and Istarska Bjelica, which form the foundation of their oils. They also grow well-known Mediterranean varieties, including Leccino, Frantoio, Maurino, Pendolino and Ascolana. This diversity allows them to create a wide range of blends, from delicate and harmonious to bold and intensely flavoured.

Yet the quality of olive oil depends on much more than the variety of olives. Harvest timing and the speed of processing are equally important. In their groves, harvesting is carried out selectively, according to the optimal ripeness of each variety. Rather than harvesting all the olives at once, they pick them when the ideal balance of aroma, flavour and nutritional properties has been achieved. No more than 24 hours may pass between harvesting and processing, helping to preserve the freshness of the fruit, the oil's fruitiness and its aromatic complexity. This approach requires precise organisation and constant monitoring of the groves, but it is precisely in these details that Petar sees the difference between an average olive oil and an exceptional one.

The division of responsibilities between the couple is clearly defined. Petar oversees the entire production process, from pruning and protecting the olive trees to monitoring fruit ripening, organising the harvest and ensuring quality control. He also advises other olive growers, collaborates with grove owners and helps develop business relationships and sales channels. His expertise has earned him professional recognition: he is a multiple-time national champion in olive tree pruning using the polyconic vase training system, a demanding canopy-shaping technique designed to provide optimal growing conditions, sunlight exposure and productivity.

Matea, meanwhile, is responsible for marketing, promotion, public relations, social media and the website. Her role is to transform what begins in the olive grove into a story that customers can understand and connect with.

"Nevertheless, we try to make all major business decisions together, through open discussion and mutual respect. We believe the best solutions emerge when we bring together different perspectives, experiences and areas of expertise," explains Petar Rikato, whose extra virgin olive oils have received numerous awards at respected national and international quality competitions.

"If we had to single out one award that means something particularly special to us, it would be the most recent Grand Gold Medal, awarded at Noćnjak 2026 for our Olive You blend in the category of extra virgin olive oils made from blended olive varieties. This recognition is especially meaningful because it was achieved in exceptionally strong competition, with almost 500 producers from across the Mediterranean," says Petar. For him, the award is not only confirmation of the product's quality, but also reassurance that the family story they are building, from the olive grove to the brand, is developing in the direction they envisioned.

Collaboration with restaurants and chefs also plays an extremely important role in this journey. Matea and Petar believe that professional chefs are particularly well placed to appreciate how much high-quality olive oil can transform the experience of a dish. In contemporary gastronomy, olive oil has long been more than just a cooking fat. It can serve as a finishing touch, enhance the natural flavour of an ingredient, bring different elements together or introduce an entirely new aromatic dimension.

This is why their different blends offer such a wide range of culinary possibilities. Chefs also provide invaluable feedback, helping the couple understand how individual oils perform in different dishes, which aromas complement one another and what qualities professional kitchens look for.

Under the Olive Tree, the most delicate blend in the collection, pairs particularly well with white fish, Swiss chard, mozzarella and light salads. Slightly more expressive, yet still mild, Olive You is recommended with bruschetta, burrata, Caprese salad and delicate risottos.

Four Hearts, a medium-intensity blend, represents the golden middle ground of the collection and works beautifully with tomato-based pasta dishes, grilled vegetables and chicken. Family Roots has a considerably more intense and pronounced aromatic character, making it an excellent match for hearty stews, aged cheeses and octopus slow-cooked under a traditional peka bell.

The boldest oil in the collection is Heart & Soul, which truly comes into its own alongside full-flavoured dishes such as steaks, lamb, steak tartare, radicchio and even dark chocolate.

At the same time, the Rikato brand is committed to educating consumers about olive oil. At the Taste the Mediterranean Festival, Petar participated in a panel discussion entitled "Olive Growers, Winemakers and Bread for a New Era of Agriculture and Tourism", where he acknowledged that harvesting remains one of the greatest challenges in olive oil production.

Producing high-quality olive oil requires extensive manual labour, specialist knowledge and year-round care of the olive groves. As a result, it is virtually impossible to produce premium extra virgin olive oil and sell it for just a few euros per litre. Petar therefore always advises consumers to learn about the producer, the oil's origin, production methods and quality, as confirmed by expert analyses and awards.

An even more widespread misconception, the couple points out, is that bitterness and pungency indicate poor-quality olive oil. In fact, the opposite is true: pleasant bitterness and the characteristic peppery sensation in the throat are desirable qualities of good extra virgin olive oil, associated with the presence of naturally occurring phenolic compounds.

"High-quality extra virgin olive oil should evoke freshness and nature, like the scent of spring. Its aromas may reveal freshly cut grass, green olive leaves, green apples, tomatoes or artichokes," explains Petar Rikato.

Today, their blends are purchased primarily by Croatian consumers and tourists seeking high-quality local products with a recognisable origin. However, the brand's ambitions extend well beyond the Croatian market. Matea and Petar are working to establish new sales channels and preparing to enter international markets.

They believe that Istrian olive oils have enormous potential, particularly when exceptional quality is supported by an authentic story. Today's discerning consumers increasingly want to know who produces their food, where it comes from and how it is made. This personal dimension can become a significant competitive advantage for small producers.

Perhaps the best expression of the couple's business philosophy lies in the wish they share at the end of the conversation: that when someone opens a bottle of Rikato olive oil for the first time, they will experience the warmth of their family home, the scent of Istria and the value of the work invested in every single drop.

Because for Matea and Petar Rikato, olive oil is not simply a product. It is their way of life, captured in a bottle.