Provence olives and olive oil

The olive is an essential part of the Provencal culture, countryside and kitchen. The Greeks brought the olive tree to Provence 8,000 years ago and the olive tree now is as present in the landscape as is the vineyard.

The olives themselves feature in local dishes like tapenade and pissaladiere, quite apart from being a dish on their own. Go to a market or deli in Provence and you will see all sorts of different olive varieties cured in different ways. Picked straight from the tree, an olive is bitter and inedible, it takes a little help from man to make them irresistible to the palate.

Of course the main blessing of the olive tree is olive oil. In Provence olive oil is taken as seriously as wine, with the same system of appellation to ensure origin and quality – AOC (appellation d’origine controlée). The Provence appellation is AOC Huile d’Olive de Provence.

OLIVE MILLS

At a working olive mill you can typically see how olive oil is made, as well as buying products made from the olives, oil and wood of the olive tree. Here are the olive mills of the Luberon and surrounding areas that you can visit:


Domaine Lis Andi
Christian et France Barthelier
Route St Pierre
84600 Valréas
Tel: 04 90 37 41 34


SARL Moulin du Comtat
Haut Frères (Bio)
108, avenue de la Baisse
84330 Caromb
Tel: 04 90 62 42 05


Moulin Dauphin
Rue du Moulin à Huile
84160 Cucuron
Tel: 04 90 77 26 17
www.moulin-dauphin.com


Moulin Maurice Jullien
Quartier Gravière
84490 St Saturnin d'Apt
Tel: 04 90 75 56 24
www.moulin-huile-jullien.com


Moulin Mathieu
370, route du Four Neuf
84580 0ppede
Tel: 04 90 76 90 66
www.moulin-mathieu.com


Moulin du Vieux Château - Boudoire Frères
8, rue du Moulin à huile
84360 Mérindol
Tel: 04 90 72 6 76


Moulin Oliversion
Chemin du Galon
84160 Cucuron
Tel: 04 90 08 90 01


Moulin St Augustin
RN 100 - La ferme des Hermitants
Coustellet - 84580 Oppède
Tel: 04 90 72 43 66


Moulin du Pays d'Aigues
ES AT Le Grand Réal
84120 La Bastidonne
Tel: 04 90 07 55 66


Moulin du Clos des Jeannons
M. André Horard
Le Haut Tourteron
84220 Gordes
Tel: 04 90 72 68 35
www.huile-provence.com


Coop, Oléicole «La Balméenne»
Av. Jules Ferry
84190 Beaumes de Venise
Tel: 04 90 62 93 77
www.labalmeenne.fr


Coopérative Oléicole «La Colombe»
Route de Blauvac
84570 Malemort du Comtat
Tel: 04 90 69 91 99

OLIVE FESTIVALS
Beaumes-de-Venise
Fete de l’huile d’olive nouvelle (New olive oil festival)
18th December 2012

Robion
Fete de l’Olive (Olive festival)
3 August 2012

Oppede
Fete de l’olivier et des moulins a huile (Festival of olive trees and olive mills)
21 October 2012