rio largo olive estate

scherpenheuwel valley

RIO LARGO OLIVE ESTATE has 18,000 trees made up of various cultivars; Frantoio,  Leccino, Coratina and FS-17.  All cultivars originate from Italy and are known to complement each other in making delicious, well balanced olive oil.

The cultivars ripen at different times during the harvest which determines that olives are handpicked at optimal ripeness rather than being faced with all fruit ripening simultaneously and then having to harvest some unripe and some overripe.

Frantoio is the dominant cultivar with good oil yields and a fruity flavour, Coratina is pungent, strong and peppery whilst Leccino is very smooth and mild. Such cultivars have become the preferred blend for Italian oils and were specifically developed for high-quality oil.

RIO LARGO OLIVE ESTATE  adopts biological farming methods for sustainable agriculture by  “putting more back then you take out” together with overall concern for protecting the environment for future generations.

RIO LARGO is  an  accredited member  of the SA Olive Association  and  voluntarily  submit  all  oils  to  the  SA Olive Association  for  submission  to  their  Certificate of Compliance  Scheme.