The best local producers Luberon

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

Chantal and Patrick Ochs combine two skills: those of olive grower and miller. Crushed by granite millstones, the olives are transformed into three oils: La Discrète, a single variety of bouteillan; La Fougueuse, ranked since 2008 among the best olive oils in the world; and La Précieuse obtained by crushing the olives. These are the very first olive oil drops obtained naturally by crushing without any pressure, a quintessence.

Descended from a long line of farmers of Vaudois origin, François Aurouze created this estate in 1988. While he produced AOC Luberon wines until 2020, since then he has concentrated on olive oil production. Cultivated on just under 3ha of mainly Aglandau olive trees, the oil is certified organic. Visit the cellar in the heart of the village to taste this unique oil and tour the ^17th-century vaulted cellars and troglodytic oil mill.

This producers' store is the fruit of teamwork and is run by the farmers who offer their products for direct sale. All year round, La Bardane offers a wide range of products from the southern Luberon and the Durance plain, including fruit and vegetables, wines, meats, preserves, cheeses and bread. The store embodies the values of peasant agriculture, promoting practices that respect the environment and people. The products on offer meet strict ethical criteria, notably excluding soil-less agriculture and intensive livestock farming. Here you'll find quality and good cheer!

It's been a family affair for four generations. The owners pamper 12 ha certified in organic agriculture from which they obtain an AOC Provence oil. You will find it at the estate shop, in pretty bottles, fruity or flavoured (lemon, truffle, basil, Espelette pepper), alongside green and black tapenades. And as the benefits of olive oil are multiple. Take the time to discover the other products of this mill where cereals are grown.

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.

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 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.

The Moulin du Grand Réal is a traditional oil mill, you can see the granite millstone, the scourtins and the two hydraulic presses during your visit. The olives harvested on the estate are crushed from November to December to give an A.O.C. certified organic oil. The oil of the mill as well as all the farm products directly cultivated or manufactured by the Grand Réal (seasonal vegetables, goat cheese...) are sold at the ESAT shop. They are also served at the inn. Freshness guaranteed.

Stéphane Pax raises snails responsibly in a 1,200m2 park, using sustainable, natural methods and no chemicals. He is a member of the Biosphere Reserve, guaranteeing the quality and authenticity of his products, which he processes and cooks in his own laboratory, before selling them at markets (including the Motte d'Aigues market on Thursdays from June to August) and to Michelin-starred restaurants in the region. His speciality? Snail croquilles in crispy wafer shells, with flavors that vary according to the season. In addition to his farming activities, he organizes monthly "à la bonne franquette" snail dinners in the summer months.

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.

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.