Olive trees have shaped the landscape of the Alpilles for centuries, thanks to the climate and soil characteristics that have allowed them to flourish.
These favourable conditions have given rise to 4 varieties of olive unique to our appellation area.
Over the generations, the work of the olive tree and the olive has been passed down to form a genuine intangible cultural heritage practised by our olive growers, olive makers, confectioners and millers.
Olive oil from the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence is the result of the know-how of millers, who blend at least two of the four main varieties of olive typical of our appellation area to create a pure fruit juice with unique flavours.
These 4 varieties, which give the PDO its typical character, can be complemented, to a lesser extent, by the Picholine variety from the Gard region, which gives an intensely fruity oil with a hint of bitterness.
It is through the expertise of the producers, millers and confectioners that olive oil and olives from the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence become exceptional products.
Olive growers are olive producers. They may be professionals or private individuals. Olive growers do not market their produce under their own name. They bring their olives to the mill and can then choose to keep their produce for their own consumption or sell it to the mill, which can then market it under their own name.
The olive growers cultivate the olives in the same way as the olive growers, but they also blend the oil extracted by a miller, thus giving their identity and typicality to the oil, made from their own olives, that they market.
The confectioners, 4 in the appellation area, transform the freshly picked fruit into table olives. Two production methods have been awarded the Les Baux-de-Provence Protected Designation of Origin: the broken green olive and the pitted or salted black olive.
The millers, 16 in the appellation area, transform the olives into oil. Each contributes its own know-how and personal touch, offering a wide range of tastes.
Each trade in the appellation is regulated by strict specifications. These correspond to the rules that must be respected from the production to the processing of the olive to produce AOP. They are based on local tradition and are typical of our appellation area (where the olive trees are planted, olive varieties, orchard management, age of the orchard, irrigation, yield, harvesting conditions, storage methods, blending, extraction process, acidity level, etc.).
Thanks to regular checks, consumers can be sure of the consistent quality of products made in the pure Provencal tradition.
A committee of experienced tasters determines whether the product presented corresponds to the characteristics of a Vallée des Baux-de-Provence oil or olive in accordance with the specifications. Following this inspection, the syndicate issues a certificate of conformity for marketing under the AOP.
The “Appellation d’Origine Protégée” label, issued by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine and the European Commission, certifies the quality of the product and the authenticity of its region of origin. AOP product can be recognised by its red and gold logo.
Visit Les Baux-de-Provence at any time of year and discover the changing palette of light and colours of the Alpilles landscape. At Les Baux-de-Provence you can explore history dating back thousands of years, age-old traditions and the Provençal way of life with its tastes and flavours. Enjoy your visit!
Maison du Roy, Rue Porte Mage,
13520 Les Baux-de-Provence
Tél. +33 (0)4 90 54 34 39
tourisme@lesbauxdeprovence.com
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 9.30 am to 5.00 pm
Weekends & public holidays: 10.00 am to 5.30 pm
Closure: 25 December and 1 January
