The Gold Standard

In the Scherpenheuwel Valley (between Worcester and Robertson) flows a different kind of cultivar. Rio largo – the home of multi-award winning “liquid gold” – produces only the finest premium extra-virgin olive oil.

- Jenny Handley 

The terroir and rain shadow make the picturesque, little known valley of Scherpenheuwel the perfect place to grow olives for premium olive oil. Hot sunny days, a drier climate and a more profound difference between day and night than in other olive growing areas in South Africa, give it the edge. It is here that Nick and Brenda Wilkinson have made a home and a name for themselves as hands-on producers of a top quality product in the international olive oil industry.But where did their love affair with the evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean start? Nick Wilkinson always had mandatory annual medicals for his pilot’s licence and with blood pressure and cholesterol nearing limits, his GP recommended following a Mediterranean diet with lots of good quality extra-virgin olive oil. They changed their diets and their wellbeing improved.

Chartered accountant Nick’s strong business acumen comes from managing two British multinational farming and agricultural businesses, fixing failed companies and developing products in African countries.

Vivacious and organised Brenda, formerly a teacher, is a natural marketer.While living in Zambia, their daughters enrolled at Stellenbosch University, so Brenda initiated the search for a farming business opportunity nearby. Rio Largo (from Portuguese, meaning “wide river”) offered the challenge and a platform for their combined skills. The estate borders the Breede River (wide river).