And “fou” … olive oil – Domaine des Bastidettes

We had met at a trade show in Arles, a producer of’organic olive oil whose methods surprised us, pleasantly surprised !

Let’s go back to the basics of olive oil and tradition to fully understand. Historically in Provence, olive trees grow on dry, rocky ground, spaced 5m x 6m. On and cultivate 2 or 3 varieties of olives to make Provence oil. The olives are picked up by hand or by vibration in nets, then brought to the mill.

Domaine les Bastidettes

Andre Meiffre, owner of Domaine les Bastidettes preferred to settle on the Crau plain at the gates of the Camargue, in dry, rocky terrain, rather than in the hinterland of Provence. But the terroir is not the only difference for this oil ! He also chose to plant the olive trees in fruit hedges spaced 1.5m x 4m apart., like a huge vineyard . He can thus harvest with a mechanized method and press the olives immediately after harvesting.. This process brings several advantages : the olives are pressed less than 4 hours after picking and have an acidity level of 0.17 versus 0.8 for the traditional method to have the appellation “extra virgin”.

But that's not all ! He decided to plant 70 hectares with 20 kinds of olives that he presses in mono variety to make a blend of olive oil as in the greatest vintages of wine.

When he started with this innovative method, people called him a bit “fou” in the olive sector, and yet ! Its oil is classified among the 50 best oils in the world and won numerous gold medals at the agricultural competition in Paris.

You can find the olive oils from Domaine des Bastidettes in the shop.