Olivin Olive Oil & Vinegar Taproom
When some people turn 65, they dream of touring the country in an RV or spending more time with their grandkids, but after 40 years in the real estate industry, Joyce Renoff thought it was the perfect time to move across country and open a specialty olive oil shop.
It was a huge leap of faith for sure, but not a blind one. Renoff had been the assistant manager for a similar shop in Maryland for two and half years and that’s where she learned the ropes, built a relationship with an olive oil importer and fell in love with the business. When she decided to move to Boise to be closer to her daughter, she knew she wanted to explore opening a similar store. In June she opened the doors to Olivin.
Inside, the walls are lined with silver casks filled with a variety of olive oils, from ultra-premium for the purists, to a wide array of flavors from spicy green chili oil to blood orange, to wild mushroom and sage to Herbs de Provence.
The balsamic vinegars run the same gamut from the 18-year-old star of the show to those flavored with pears, cranberry, and figs. Specialty items like champagne and wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil and truffle oil round out the offerings.
But here’s the best part: You can sample any or all of them first. Then, simply select from three sizes of bottles and Renoff will fill them right from the tap.
“It’s overwhelming and risky and a bit scary to be starting a whole new chapter at this point in my life,” Renoff said, but she looks forward to settling into her new community—and filling a much-needed culinary niche.
