Press & Media

Rancho Meladuco has been featured in national gift guides, food publications, and lifestyle media for over a decade. Our hand-packed California Medjool dates have been called the country’s best edible gift by some of the most respected editors in food and lifestyle media. Below is a selection.

Featured Mentions

The Wall Street Journal — “50 Best Christmas Gift Ideas”

Rancho Meladuco’s hand-packed Medjool dates were selected for The Wall Street Journal’s annual holiday gift guide as one of the 50 best gift ideas for Christmas.

Oprah’s Favorite Things

Rancho Meladuco was selected for Oprah Winfrey’s annual Favorite Things list, recognizing our Medjool dates among the country’s best edible gifts.

Forbes — “Gifts for Millionaires that Don’t Require a Millionaire’s Budget”

Pamela Danziger writing in Forbes called Rancho Meladuco “the ultimate in medjool date luxury.” Read the article.

Food & Wine Magazine — “16 Gifts for Your Snobbiest Food Friend”

Food & Wine’s gift guide selected Rancho Meladuco as a pick “for your friend who buys all of their produce at their local farmer’s market,” calling our dates “plump and juicy medjool dates, hand-picked and hand-packed in the Coachella Valley.” Read the article.

Greer’s OC — “The Best Date in OC”

“Hands down the best dates you’ll ever taste.” Read the article.

Awards & Recognition

  • sofi™ New Product Award — “The Grinders” Organic California Medjool Dates were named winner in the Best New Products category for Nuts, Seeds and Trail Mix (Specialty Food Association).
  • Specialty Food News — Profiled as “preeminent seller of Medjool dates in the US” on the launch of our Heirloom Variety Date Box.
  • Walmart launch — Little Mels Seedless Date Snack Cups, the first seedless date snack designed for children.

Where to Find Us

In addition to direct shipping from our farm, Rancho Meladuco dates are stocked at Whole Foods, Erewhon, Williams-Sonoma, and Walmart, plus specialty grocers nationwide. Visit our store finder to find a location near you, or shop direct at our online store.

Press Inquiries

For press inquiries, samples, founder interviews with Joan Smith, or story angles on date farming, the Coachella Valley, or female-founded food businesses, please reach out through our contact page. We’re happy to provide high-resolution product photography, founder background, harvest-season story angles, and product samples to writers and editors covering food, gifting, agriculture, or California.

Shop the Dates the Press Loves

Try the same hand-packed California Medjool dates featured in national gift guides. Browse our Medjool dates collection, our curated gift selection, or read our complete buyer’s guide to find the right box for you.