About Our Owner – Roni Hosfeld

At D’Olivo, our mission is quite simple – help people discover the many health benefits of ultra-premium olive oil and true balsamic vinegars so they can live a healthier, tastier lifestyle. Though our focus originally started with high-quality olive oils, over the years, we’ve procured a wide selection of holistic and local products that can help our customers achieve just that. On any given day, you can walk into our Walla Walla location and get lost on an informative yet delicious tasting tour, or simply browse around for some new, benefit-rich products that can help you work toward personal health goals. In this article, we’re going to share with you the story of our owner, Roni Hosfeld, and the amazing journey she made to bring the D’Olivo brand from its humble beginnings to where it is today.

Most people these days think of olive oil as nothing more than a kitchen ingredient used for cooking that can be bought at popular supermarkets. To Roni Hosfeld, this was very much her way of thinking as well, until one fateful trip to Colorado. An unexpected detour landed her in a small oil shop that opened her eyes to the world of olive oil for the very first time. Though Roni didn’t know it then, this brief experience would change her life and serve as the foundation for the D’Olivo brand.

Roni, who had been working in public service for over 20 years, let the idea of starting her own oil shop fall to the wayside as a pipe dream. However, in May of 2013, Roni received an exciting call that opened the door for D’Olivo. Jumping at the opportunity, in less than two months time, Roni had to design the store’s layout, order product, and essentially build the D’Olivo brand from the ground up while still continuing to work at a local winery. It was during this time that Roni stumbled across Veronica Foods, a leading distributor of ultra-premium olive oils around the world and the company we still source all of our oil from today.

In order to sell Veronica Foods olive oil, Roni had to go through a detailed background check and intensive training program, all of which she admits was more than worth it due to the unwavering quality of their oils. With product handled, she then undertook the momentous task of hiring staff members that would not only represent the D’Olivo brand, but love doing it. By still following her philosophy of training and equipping each employee with the tools and knowledge they need to do the job, all of our staff members play the role of both tour guide and teacher to every customer that walks through our doors.

For Roni, in addition to educating everyone she comes into contact with about the many health benefits of ultra-premium olive oils, she’s also constantly looking for new ways to meet the needs of the Walla Walla Valley community while staying true to the D’Olivo brand. This is ultimately what urged Roni to offer a new line of skin care products sourced directly from the Olive Oil Skin Care Company in Australia. Understanding that olive oil is also beneficial for the skin and hair, Roni wanted to continue offering customers more holistic products that would allow them to achieve their goals the natural, healthy way.

From the beginning, when she was still splitting her time between the store and a winery job, Roni was brainstorming countless ideas that she could use to help D’Olivo grow while building a continued relationship with customers. Using her experience in the wine industry, she decided that the best way to do this was to start the brand’s very own olive oil and vinegar club. Marking a big step forward, the club allows customers to subscribe and receive four quarterly shipments of olive oils and vinegars that they can handpick themselves.

With a constantly expanding inventory of delicious oils and vinegars, this is one of the best ways to experience all the D’Olivo brand has to offer. As a club member, you’ll have the luxury of tailoring your experience with three different levels that offer between two to four bottles of oil or vinegar each quarter. In addition to receiving the oils and vinegars of your choice, members can also enjoy a handpicked gift from Roni herself as an extra treat each quarter.

Today, Roni still works just as hard as she did when D’Olivo was first founded to ensure the brand reflects her passion and dedication to the products and customers. On any given day, you’ll find her greeting customers with a warm smile, striking up laughter filled conversations, and helping everyone find the perfect olive oils and vinegars. So, the next time you find yourself in Walla Walla Valley, be sure to stop by and have your eyes opened to the world of olive oil in very much the same way it was for our owner, Roni Hosfeld.