I must admit that I was expecting this visit to be more of an olive producer's estate, and not a gourmet shop. Don't let that first impression fool you. It turned out to be better than that.
First of all, there's plenty of parking. As you can see, our tour bus had no problem getting through the entrance. I believe they allow caravans & RVs into the parking area.
It's a Provencal specialty shop with high quality products from this region. It's frequented by locals & tourists in Grasse. They have 2 locations. This one in St. Antoine and another in the city center. This one is more rustic with olive trees and estates surrounding it. There were Eurasian Magpies flying around us, and throughout our trip to Valbonne as well. A great scenery to take in while listening to our shop guide talk about the varieties of olives in Provence, and how they are collected. He spoke to us about the method (or celebration) called "les olivades" when the olives fall naturally or raked into a net under the tree during harvest time. How cool is that? All of this was explained as we stood under an 80 year old olive tree.
We sampled a variety of different olives from the region. I was most fond of the Picholine and Caillette varieties. They are delicious! We sampled various different brands and flavors of olive oil. I don't think we would have had this much of a brand variety at an oil mill. It would have been their own special label. We tasted a somewhat grassy tasting olive oil from Grasse. Imagine that? There were flavors of truffle, lemon, and Herbes de Provence from other parts of the region. I could go on & on, but you just have to experience it yourself.
Did I buy anything? Absolutely! I didn't purchase the olives & oils. I just couldn't pass up the calissons. It was something that I regretted not buying when we visited Aix-en-Provence 10 years ago. I wasn't about to let it slip through my fingers this time. These tasted so fresh & light. Very unlike the ones I purchased through Amazon one year. You must try them if ever in this region. It's their iconic specialty confection.
There's really something for everyone here including local wine, cheese, honey, and gifts. I was very happy with our visit, tasting, and purchase. Who knows better about the local products in Provence than a gourmet shop specializing in the them? read more