De Rustica Olive Estate in South Africa grows amazing Coratina olives using kind, natural farming on lands full of history and life. Their extra virgin olive oil tastes fresh and rich, winning top prizes at big global contests like EVOOLEUM. The estate shows how care for soil, hand-picking, and respect for nature create oils with vibrant flavors and health benefits. De Rustica’s success shines a new light on South African olive oil, inspiring farmers and chefs around the world. It’s a story of tradition and passion coming together in every golden drop.
What makes De Rustica Olive Estate’s extra virgin olive oil internationally acclaimed?
De Rustica Olive Estate in South Africa produces award-winning extra virgin olive oil through sustainable, regenerative farming and hand-harvesting of Coratina olives. Its oils are celebrated for rich flavor, high polyphenol content, and consistency, earning top honors at EVOOLEUM, a leading global olive oil competition.
A Landscape Steeped in Vitality and Heritage
Tucked into the rolling foothills of the Klein Karoo, De Rustica Olive Estate quietly nurtures its groves amidst a landscape etched with both history and vitality. Each dawn, sunlight bathes the knotted trunks of Coratina olive trees, their silver-tipped foliage glittering with potential. De Rustica embodies a meeting of old-world wisdom and new-world drive, cultivating an extra virgin olive oil that now rivals those from far more established regions.
Strolling through these groves reveals a harmonious blend between nature and attentive care. The estate’s methods reflect reverence for tradition while embracing modern approaches. This thoughtful stewardship allows the land to yield olives of remarkable character, setting the stage for oils with striking vibrancy and depth.
De Rustica’s story may seem anchored in the tranquil South African countryside, but its ambitions reach far beyond these borders. The estate has steadily raised its profile on the world stage, offering a compelling alternative to the Mediterranean stronghold on high-quality olive oil. The interplay of climate, soil, and human craftsmanship ensures that every bottle contains both legacy and innovation.
Ascending to International Acclaim
In 2025, De Rustica’s Estate Collection Coratina soared to new heights at the prestigious EVOOLEUM international olive oil competition. Securing second place among nearly a thousand contenders from 26 nations, the estate’s achievement reflects not only technical mastery but also a profound dedication to quality. EVOOLEUM stands as one of the most rigorous and respected contests in the industry, assembling an elite panel of sensory experts who analyze each oil with the meticulousness of Burgundy or Tuscan wine judges.
This remarkable placing—a 96-point score and a position in the coveted Top 10—underscores De Rustica’s ability to compete with the best, even as it operates thousands of kilometers from the traditional olive oil heartlands of Spain or Italy. The estate’s journey includes a history of accolades, most notably the 2023 Absolute Best award at EVOOLEUM, which signaled a seismic shift for South African olive oil. Notably, De Rustica paused its participation in 2024 but returned in 2025, reaffirming its reputation for consistent excellence—a feat achieved by only a small handful of producers in recent years.
Recognition on such a prominent stage extends beyond individual triumph. De Rustica’s success has helped elevate the standing of South African extra virgin olive oil as a whole, encouraging producers across the country to reach for ever-higher standards. The estate’s ability to excel amidst fierce competition highlights both the potential of South African terroir and the value of persistent, purposeful innovation.
Nurturing Excellence: From Soil to Bottle
Rob Still, a driving force behind De Rustica, attributes the estate’s continued success to more than technical skill or commercial ambition. He points to the dedication of the estate’s team and their steadfast adherence to sustainable, regenerative farming practices. By prioritizing the health of the soil, De Rustica lays the groundwork for superior olives and, ultimately, exceptional oil. “Our sustainable regenerative farming methods create the healthy soils that underpin our consistent top quality,” Still remarks, aligning De Rustica’s ethos with global movements advocating for ecological balance and slow food.
The estate’s commitment to sustainability involves more than abstaining from chemicals; it includes reintroducing native cover crops and nurturing biodiversity. This approach seeks to restore harmony to the land, ensuring that every aspect of the ecosystem thrives—from the microorganisms in the soil to the wildlife sharing the groves. The result is not merely environmental stewardship but also a tangible impact on the flavor, complexity, and nutritional value of the oil itself.
Walks through the De Rustica groves reveal scenes reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement, where integrity and beauty intertwine. Workers prune the trees with intent and harvest the olives by hand, careful to select and process each fruit at its optimal ripeness. Local harvesters describe the oil’s flavor as fresh and vibrant, with notes of green grass, tomato, and a delicate touch of almond. These tasting notes invite comparisons to the nuanced language of sommeliers and reinforce olive oil’s status as one of the world’s premier artisanal foods.
Redefining South African Olive Oil and Inspiring a New Narrative
Wendy Petersen, CEO of SA Olive, recognizes De Rustica’s achievements as transformative for the entire industry. She notes that international accolades for South African extra virgin olive oils signify not just a single estate’s win, but a broader leap forward for quality and consistency across the region. “South African EVOO producers are again being recognised internationally for their quality and, critically, their consistency of quality. De Rustica is indeed a standard bearer,” Petersen said recently. This recognition echoes the revolution once seen in New World wine, when regions outside Europe redefined global standards.
Although South Africa’s olive oil sector remains modest compared to Mediterranean giants, producers here confront unique challenges. The Klein Karoo’s semi-arid climate, with its wide temperature fluctuations, encourages olives to ripen slowly. This environmental stress often enhances flavor concentration and boosts polyphenol content, resulting in oils with pronounced bitterness, peppery spice, and aromatic traces of wild herb. Culinary experts and food historians often draw parallels to the evolution of fine wine and cheese, where marginal lands produced flavors that eventually gained international renown.
The transformation of the Klein Karoo, once famed for ostrich feathers and dramatic scenery, now includes its emergence as an olive oil destination. De Rustica’s rise highlights both the area’s agricultural legacy and its capacity for creative renewal. The estate’s Cape Dutch-inspired architecture sits comfortably alongside a modern, bustling tasting room, where visitors from across the globe sample oils that increasingly feature on menus in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and beyond. Chefs seek out De Rustica’s oils for their ability to elevate everything from salads to artisanal breads, mirroring the broader farm-to-table movement’s reverence for provenance and narrative.
Community, Culture, and the Enduring Olive Tree
The influence of De Rustica’s global recognition extends well beyond its groves. Local communities gain from stable employment and opportunities for skill development, as the estate invests in education and sustainable agricultural techniques. The farm draws visitors eager to delve deeper into the world of olive oil—whether through guided tastings, hands-on workshops, or tours that reveal the intricate journey from tree to bottle. These experiences offer a sensory education akin to wine appreciation, helping a new generation in South Africa discover and savor the nuances of premium extra virgin olive oil.
Cultural resonance deepens De Rustica’s story. The olive tree, celebrated for centuries as a symbol of peace, resilience, and prosperity, reappears in the work of contemporary South African artists and writers. Inspired by the renaissance of olive farming, they reinterpret the ancient motif through local colors, forms, and narratives. The estate’s groves become both literal and figurative galleries, inviting painters, poets, and photographers to capture the unique textures and moods of South African terroir.
De Rustica’s journey from the sunbaked soils of the Klein Karoo to the international limelight reveals a steadfast commitment to authenticity and advancement. Every harvest, every award, and every visitor speaks to a philosophy rooted in patience, reverence for nature, and relentless pursuit of excellence. As De Rustica continues to impress on the world stage, it also crafts a new identity for South African olive oil—one that honors its landscape, supports its communities, and inspires a generation to dream beyond boundaries. In the golden light of the Karoo, tradition and progress converge, ensuring that the story of De Rustica remains as vibrant as its celebrated oils.
FAQ: De Rustica Olive Estate
What makes De Rustica Olive Estate’s extra virgin olive oil internationally acclaimed?
De Rustica Olive Estate produces award-winning extra virgin olive oil using sustainable, regenerative farming and hand-harvesting of Coratina olives. Their oils are recognized globally for rich, fresh flavors, high polyphenol content, and consistent quality. De Rustica has won top prizes at EVOOLEUM—the world’s leading olive oil competition—earning scores as high as 96 points and securing positions in the Top 10 among nearly a thousand international contenders.
How does De Rustica ensure the quality and flavor of its olive oil?
Quality at De Rustica starts with the health of the soil through regenerative farming practices, including reintroducing native cover crops and promoting biodiversity. Olives are hand-picked at optimal ripeness to preserve flavor and nutritional value. The estate’s careful stewardship of its Coratina groves in the Klein Karoo’s unique climate results in oils with vibrant notes of green grass, tomato, almond, and a characteristic peppery spice, reflecting both tradition and innovation.
What role does South Africa’s Klein Karoo region play in the character of De Rustica’s oils?
The Klein Karoo’s semi-arid climate with wide temperature fluctuations causes olives to ripen slowly, concentrating flavors and boosting beneficial polyphenol levels. This terroir produces oils with pronounced bitterness and aromatic complexity, similar to how marginal lands influence fine wines and cheeses. De Rustica leverages these unique environmental conditions to craft olive oils that stand out on the global stage.
How has De Rustica influenced the South African olive oil industry?
De Rustica’s international success has elevated the reputation of South African extra virgin olive oil, inspiring other producers to raise their quality standards. Their achievements symbolize a broader leap forward in consistency and excellence in the region, akin to the revolution experienced by New World wine regions. This momentum helps position South Africa as an emerging player in the global olive oil market.
What sustainability and community initiatives does De Rustica support?
Beyond producing premium olive oil, De Rustica commits to environmental stewardship by practicing regenerative farming and maintaining ecological balance. The estate supports local communities by providing stable employment, skill development, and educational opportunities. It also offers visitors immersive experiences—tastings, workshops, and tours—that deepen appreciation for olive oil and promote cultural engagement with the land.
Where can consumers experience or purchase De Rustica’s olive oils?
De Rustica’s oils are available internationally and increasingly found on menus at top restaurants across South Africa, including Johannesburg and Cape Town. Visitors can explore the estate’s Cape Dutch-inspired tasting room in the Klein Karoo for guided tastings and educational tours. The estate’s oils are celebrated for enhancing a wide range of dishes, from fresh salads to artisanal breads, making them a favorite among chefs and food enthusiasts worldwide.
