Wine
 Provence is perhaps not the most renowned wine-growing region in France, but it has surely the greatest variety.
There are two main wine-growing regions:
- the wineyard of "Côtes-du-Rhône": (Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape...)
- The wine from Provence: (Cassis, Bellet, Bandol, Côteaux Varoix...)
They can be tasted directly at the wine cellars or at local wine fêtes.
Olives and olive oil
The olive tree - symbol of the Mediterranean - was imported by the greek some 2500 years ago.
It can live for several centuries and starts to give fruit at the age of eight, reaching full maturity by the age of twenty.
Olives are traditionally gathered by hand or combs from November to January. The largest are conserved for eating whilst the smallest are pressed at the mill to give "virgin olive oil".
5 kg (11Pb) of olives makes 1 litre (1,8 pints) of oil.
Truffles
The black truffle, the same as the Périgord truffle is recognizable by its strong wild perfume.
Its development requires 3 essential elements : earth rich in limestone, a Mediterranean climate and a welcoming tree  (generally oak). It is collected during winter at the feet of oak trees with the help of a well-trained dog. The "truffle hound" scratches the earth to show where the truffle is hidden, leaving its owner to free the "Black Diamond" with a special hook called a "Faiji".
The cultivation of truffles spreads over 15 communities in the "Vaucluse" and 68 in the "Drôme Provençale".
Aromatics Plants
Be it wild or cultivated, each plant has its own special use: gastronomic, herbal tea, perfume, medicine...
They are widely used in Provencal cooking. Thyme or "Farigoule" in Provencal accompanies meat dishes whilst fennel or sage are delicious with fish. Savory "pebre d'ase" is used to season goat's cheese. But there is also romary, verbena, coriander, basil (pistou)...
Anise and mint are also cultivated to make aperitif drinks.
Lavender
Every summer the plateaus and hills of Provence are coloured in blue by fields of lavender.
The cultivation of lavender dates from the last century but its properties have been know since antiquity, it has even been used during the middle-ages as a disinfectant.
Collected by hand in the past, the harvest is now completely mechanized. Dried for a few days, the flowers then leave for the distillery where the essential oil is extracted. 120 kg (20 stone) of flowers makes 1 kg (2.2 Pb)of essential oil.
Lavandin plant, a hybrid of lavender, is becoming more and more popular because it produces twice as much oil.
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The Lavender festivals:
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Ferrassière :
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end of June
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Valréas :
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begof August
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Valensole :
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end of July
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Esparon
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mid-August
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Volvent :
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beginning of August
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Sault :
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mid-August
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Digne :
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beginning of August
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Nougat
This sweet with the perfume of Provence, a marriage of honey and almonds appeared for the first time in Montélimar at the end of the XVI century.
Honey and sugar are melted and cooked in mixers then added to beaten egg whites. It is only at the end that the almonds are added and the mixture is then poured into moulds.
Nougat can be industrally or hand-made, but must include at least 30% of almonds to merit the name "Nougat de Montélimar". |
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Château Paradis
Domaine vinicole
In between Mount Sainte Victoire and the Luberon, Château Paradis, covers an area of approximately 30 hectares (45 acres) in the middle of "Provence".
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Domaine Rocheville
Wine, olive, fruits
The majority of the products are labelled with that most prestigious of French distinctions : ‘l'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)’.
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Domaine le Plan
Domaine vinicole
On this small family estate, our philosophy is based on quality and authenticity, combined with modern technology
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Philippe Dupond
Œnologist
Wine turing in the heart of the Rhône Valley with a professionnal bilingual oenologist ; tastings, activities, encounter with famous wine growers ; day-time, evenings
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Plantes et Parfums
de Provence
Specialist in essential oils, perfumes, lavender flowers and other plants in Provence, with a professional experience of more than 25 years in this field.
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Museum of olive tree
The Museum of the Olive tree offers both the ancient and the more recent history of the culture of the Olive tree in Nyons, as well as the different uses of Olive oil.
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Conception - Réalisation - Publicité