Teo Fernetich stands on a hill above his village, Brtonigla. He sees the yellow church tower, the red tiled roofs and the blue sea on the horizon. Rows of olive trees extend behind him, their branches rustling in a steady breeze. Teo’s father, Tullio Fernetich, squeezes a half-green olive between his thumb and forefinger. Soon the olives will be ripe. This grove and several others, with some 1,200 trees altogether, belong to the family. The feet of the 65-year-old sink deep into the soft loam, as if he himself were also rooted in the soil. ‘We’ve lived from agriculture for generations,’ says Teo. The Fernetichs produce 4 sorts of olive oil – almost 3,000 litres per year, around 700 litres of which finds its way to the tables in the family’s own restaurants.
‘We have a way of life that you can see, smell and taste,’ says Teo on the drive into the village. ‘We want our guests to experience this too.’ A road sign bears the name Brtonigla and, under it, Verteneglio, the Italian name for the village. The signs and the people here are bilingual – Croatian and Italian. Teo explains: ‘Our village has belonged to Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia and, today, Croatia.’ With a wink, the 42-year-old adds, ‘My family has changed countries 4 times, but always lived in the same house.’