The best local producers Vaucluse

This bastide takes its name from the nearby stream that runs through Cadenet before emptying into the Durance. Léo has joined his parents Carine and Roland Coupat on the certified organic estate. They farm 4,000 olive trees on 15 hectares formerly planted with vines. 95% of the trees are of the aglandau variety. Salonenque and picholine complete the orchard. Concerned in every way with the quality of the oil they produce, they crush their own olives. The result is a fruité vert or "intense taste" AOC Provence and a fruité noir tradition with black olive aromas.

After a narrow and winding road surrounded by scrubland and pine trees, we discover it, on the hillside, just at the entrance of the peaceful abbey. You will find various breads from the bakery of the monks of Le Barroux, wines, assortments of cakes (coconut buttercup and chocolate buttercup especially made on the spot) as well as a selection of products from other monasteries such as liqueurs from the Lérins Islands. To guarantee their authenticity, all are labelled MONASTIC.

The period changes sometimes, it depends on the whims of Ms. Weather: sometimes you will find the good productions of the Inglebert from the beginning of May, sometimes a little later. In any case, the content remains the same and does not shine from year to year: strawberries, cherries, apricots, melons, grapes, asparagus, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes… But also fruit juices, olives and olive oil… Good customer, you can order by phone to book your lot and be sure not to find the beak in the water!

This brotherhood brings together some forty growers from the north and south of the Vaucluse region, who are committed to creating top-of-the-range cherry varieties. Their first creation was the Monts de Venasque in 1978, followed by the Chérise in 1997. Mont Venasque cherries have the particularity of being large in size. Every year, a festival is held in Venasque on the 1st Sunday in June, with tastings, a market featuring local produce and a parade.

"We don't spread our jam, we eat it with a spoon". At Maison Octave, jams are made the old-fashioned way, in large copper cauldrons. A know-how that earned José-Christophe Fernandez the title of best jam maker in France. No less than fifteen varieties are offered, including the famous pink apricot of Provence. You can also taste sublime orange-lemon marmalades, and candied apricots during the festive season, at Christmas and Easter. And beware, the shop closes at 5pm, it would be a shame to find the door closed.

The Délices du Luberon grocery store is an essential address as far as Mediterranean spreads specialities are concerned. It's because recipes are family! The range includes about twenty preparations based on olive oil, capers, black or green olives and vegetables. From mashed anchovy with rouille sauce to dried tomatoes caviar, they can be found regularly on markets in the region and in fine grocery stores. The Délices du Luberon have opened shops in Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

This master house is on the square of the church. It has become an ESAT (Workplace Service Facility) and hosts thirty mentally handicapped people who, according to traditional methods, are mitting exquisite jams with the fruits of the region. The jams (more than 70 fragrances and a small low for the one with the onions and dried grapes) benefit from the name Jam Extra, mostly made with a proportion of 65% of the minimum fruit, meticulous sorting, small quantities adapted to each fruit, without coloring or preservatives. A biological range has just been created. You can also buy biscuits (orange flower shuttles, almond crackers), honey and milk jam. This is the right place to make a real good action! Tasting offered and free.

The vacations are over... For those who haven't done their shopping for local produce, Rémi offers olive oils from small estates in the region (Luberon, Aix, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vallée des Baux; sold in bottles, tasting boxes or 3l cans). Accessories include barrels, pourers, salad bowls and olive wood cutlery. In addition, vinegars, condiments, tapenades and anchoïades in the delicatessen section, teas, herbal teas, honeys and also cosmetics and Marseille soaps.

Here, we have been professional beekeepers since 1999. Several hundred thousand bees are kept in 350 hives, each of which "shelter" 50 to 80,000 bees. All the products are organic: honeys (lavender, rosemary, all flowers...) but also white nougat with lavender honey (with organic almonds from Provence), gingerbread or "saucimiel", a home-made product in the form of milk or dark chocolate sausage with dried fruit. A beautiful panoply.

The Dauphin-Gasquet family (Céline and Stéphane) have been millers since 1923, and olive growers for as long as anyone can remember, in this village aptly nicknamed "Cucuron des Olivettes", at their troglodyte oil mill. Nestled in a cave in the ramparts of Cucuron, this mill, which is well worth a visit, has been in operation since the ^12th century. An average of 230 tons of olives (local varieties such as aglandau, typical of southern Luberon, bouteillan, cayon and picholine) are crushed to produce an extra-virgin oil, characterized by an intense nose with notes of raw artichoke.

A family story. After the war, Yves, aged just 14, took over the fallow land. His son Pierre took over, converting the entire estate to organic farming in 1978. A true pioneer, the future proved him right! The estate has expanded, and vines and olive trees coexist on the terraced plots. Martial and Samuel have taken over with the same commitment to quality. Their pure Muscat grape juice, their red Souviens-toi in the Vacqueyras appellation and their Nyons olive oil in the AOC are a winning trio.

Lovers of quality honeys from the region, this gourmet shop is a Gordoise tradition. The family produces acacia, chestnut, oak, lavender, pine, apple, rosemary, all flowers... They have no less than 1,200 hives scattered in the hills. In autumn, tourists make way for the people of the village. The welcome is enjoyable and smiling. And if you are interested, we will be happy to share with you all the secrets of this beautiful profession.

With 650 olive growers delivering an average of 300 to 400 tons of olives (in good years!) exclusively from the Vaucluse for an annual production of 60 to 100,000 litres of extra virgin olive oil, the Balméenne oil mill is a must in the region. Created in 1925, the cooperative has obviously modernized but the know-how remains the same. You will find two oils in the shop: an olive oil made with the verdale and the AOC Provence.

The estate has belonged to his family since the ^18th century, but it was in the 2000s that Jean-Louis Joseph planted the 7 hectares of his olive grove. Production is set to increase over the years. For the time being, Mr. Joseph specializes in an old-fashioned, very sweet oil, stamped AOC Provence fruité noir matured olives. The fruit comes from the aglandau, salonenque, bouteillan and cayon varieties, and is harvested by hand in the traditional way, then crushed by the granite millstones of the Grand Réal mill, 1 km away.

France and Christian Bathelier planted their olive groves over twenty years ago in Lis Andi - the hills in Provençal - in the papal enclave. The olives are processed on site, crushed by hammers, and the paste pressed in scourtins. They produce 5 oils, 4 from the tanche variety and one from verdale. During the olive crushing and oil extraction season, from mid-November to mid-January, the mill is open to visitors, who can watch the miller at work and leave with their new oil.

In the 12th century, in the district of the Hermitants, foodstuffs (flour, wine, honey and olive oil) were made for the workers who built the Abbey of Sénanque. But in 1210, the monks left for Sénanque and sold the property to the Count of Châteauneuf. Who will in turn sell it to the family of the Marquis de Sade, who will be succeeded by several generations of Provencal families. Although agricultural activities continued over the centuries, it was not until 2001, with the arrival of the Nibbio family, that olive oil was once again produced.

The place is intimately linked to the history of the village: after the massacre of the Vaudois in the 16th century, the mill, built in the heart of Mérindol in the 17th century will symbolize the revival of the village. Two centuries later, it became part of the Boudoire family. For five generations, Francine and her husband René have always perpetuated the tradition. Three oils are produced at the mill: the AOC Provence, fruity green, a ripe fruity oil, composed of aglandau and salonenque, and a fruity black oil with an old-fashioned taste, where the olives are deliberately left to ferment.

The estate, which was certainly a Gallo-Roman site and then a Templar farm, has a recent olive grove. The 3,000 trees are still young and the coming years promise larger harvests. But already, the oil (from aglandau, bouteillan, cayon and picholine) is of very good quality, often awarded medals. It must be said that the olives (in organic conversion) are all harvested by hand and brought to the mill very quickly.

The Jullien family has been making olive oil for almost a century, focusing on a single variety: the aglandau, which loves arid soil and a harsh climate. The oils produced at the mill are therefore monovarietal, available in three fruity varieties. Black, green and an organic "ripe fruity" oil. It's also a great place to take the kids, who can look for the little signs and learn about olive cultivation. And don't forget to taste the honey.