Rio Largo

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Rio Largo is an exceptionally consistent performer in the olive oil category, year after year, and we wanted to catch up with them to learn more.

Rio Largo logo 1
We asked the team to tell us more about this company:

Please tell us when your company was founded, and some of its history.

After twenty years of living in Central Africa, we decided to come back to South Africa. It was 2010 and the country was flourishing in the glory of the all that came with hosting the world cup! The estate, RIO LARGO was for sale, and Nick was excited to buy into a product that he knew had changed his health many years back after a trip to his GP, who stated that he should consume more extra virgin olive oil to lower his blood pressure!

So we became the proud owners in June 2010. Nick found himself passionately blending the oils harvested in that year and put together a winning formula - which won him DOUBLE GOLD at the SA OLIVE Awards. It put a spring in his walk and he decided to put all his energy into producing a quality olive oil, so he went off to University of California Davis Campus to study a master milling course and has since produced fabulous award-winning olive oils we love to share…

Please tell us about some of the unique features of your company.

RIO LARGO, a privately owned estate in South Africa, comprises olive orchards, vines and a MORI TEM olive processing and bottling plant. RIO LARGO EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL is a blend of cultivars (FS17, Frantoio, Leccino and Coratino) grown, handpicked, pressed, and bottled on the estate. Oils are individually tasted from single cultivar tanks before blending to achieve a delicious fruity oil, which has won top local and international awards in New York, Italy, Japan, France and the Middle East since 2010. RIO LARGO adopts biological farming methods for sustainable agriculture by “putting more back than you take out” together with overall concern for protecting the environment for future generations. 

What do you think are some of the unique products you have?

Our innovative decanters of bag in box on tap, in a wonderful array of designs to suit, filled with that delicious award-winning extra virgin olive oil, fresh until the last drop!

Please tell us what is unique about your manufacturing process, and your manufacturing philosophy.

Attention to detail EVERY STEP of the way, and cleanliness! The real secret is that Nick is hands-on and does it all …

What do you think is your distinct advantage or reason for your success?

Consistent quality olive oil which we are told is delicious, shared in innovative decanters on tap which ensures that quality till the last drop. We pack to order…storing our olive oil in large stainless steel decanters by cultivar under liquid nitrogen in air-conditioned premises.

What is the consumer demographic of your products, and what feedback are you getting?

Oh- who does not love Rio Largo! We are found in so many kitchens…as it does not matter what creed, colour, age or sex - everyone loves a quality EVOO!! We often get feedback that the consumer is surprised at how delicious our olive oil is…all the time!

1200 Groves
Nick and Brenda in the olive groves.

How do you see your company or product on the global stage?

We share RIO LARGO with consumers across the globe. The world is discovering how fabulous RIO LARGO is – a world-class extra virgin olive oil, at prices they can well afford! A win-win on all sides, and we have fresh olive oil from the Southern Hemisphere in the Northern Hemisphere summers….

In what countries can your product be found?

Too many to mention here, but North and South; East And West…RIO LARGO is BEST!

Please tell us if you have any innovations in the pipeline for the future.

More innovative packaging! Watch this space….

Contact details:

Contact person: Brenda Wilkinson

Email Address: brenda@riolargo.co.za

Contact Number: +27 (0)82 3406 726

Website: https://www.riolargo.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RioLargoOliveEstate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riolargooliveestate/