Huile d'olive de Provence

Appearance & taste

The oil comes in two kinds. If the olives are pressed no later than four days after harvest, the oil is distinctly bitter and pungent, both with a median between 1.5 and 3.5 according to the method of the International Olive Council. It smells and tastes of fresh grass and/or raw artichoke; its acidity is at most 0.5 %.

With the addition “olives maturées” (matured olives), the oil comes from olives that have matured for four to ten days before pressing. Bitterness and pungency are almost entirely absent (median at most 1); instead it tastes of black olives, preserved fruit, undergrowth and/or toasted bread; its acidity is between 0.4 and 1.5 %. The specification also sets limits for the fatty acid composition.

Production

At least 80 % of the trees on the plots for the designation of origin are Aglandau, Bouteillan, Cayon and Salonenque, of which at least 30 % Aglandau. At most 20 % may be Picholine, Grossanne, Tanche, Brun, Cayets, Ribiers, Cayanne, Verdale des Bouches-du-Rhône and old varieties, meaning trees planted before the frosts of 1956. Because the area lies in the north and often has frost, the olives are harvested as soon as their colour turns from green to yellow, before full ripeness.

The oil is obtained by mechanical means only, by centrifuging or pressing, at below 30 °C throughout processing; according to the specification, this preserves the vegetal aromas. If the olive grower lets the olives mature for a few days before pressing, the oil loses its bitterness and pungency. All steps from growing the olives to the finished oil take place in the area.

Origin & history

The area comprises 464 municipalities in seven departments: large parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Vaucluse as well as individual municipalities in Alpes-Maritimes, Drôme and Gard. It extends from the Mediterranean in the south to the Rhône in the west, to the Vaucluse plateau, the Montagne de Lure and the Préalpes de Digne in the north and to the Estérel massif in the east; the alpine mid- and high mountains are not part of it. The olive groves lie up to about 750 to 800 m high on mountain edges and hills, on sunny, stony, mostly calcareous and permeable soils.

According to the specification, Provence, apart from a coastal strip, is a marginal area for olive growing: with dry summers, strong sun, recurring hard frosts and the mistral, which cools the air. That is why four varieties have prevailed, Aglandau above all, which flower moderately to fairly late and tolerate cold moderately to well. Because of the wind, the trees are planted according to the system of “vergers piétons” so that they are less exposed to it. This mix of varieties distinguishes the oil from that of the neighbouring areas around Nice, Nyons, Nîmes and in Languedoc, where these varieties do not grow.