It’s Alicoque time!

The Alicoque festival is a must in Nyons. It highlights olive oil and olives.

It takes place every 1st weekend of February. It celebrates the first “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC)” of the olive world. It is Sunday, on the place of Dr. Bourdongle, after the opening of the “Alicoque” by the Grand Master of the Brotherhood of the Knights of Olives that we will taste the new oil on garlic croutons.

Alicoque - Place des Arcades

Alicoque - Place des Arcades

Alicoque Nyons

Alicoque Nyons

Alicoque Nyons

Alicoque Nyons

During the twentieth century, the Nyonsais and the Baronnies faced several major frosts particularly the one of 1956, which destroyed a large part of the land. Passing from 1 million olive trees to 220 miles, it is the variety Tanche that has withstood the coldest weather. The Olive of Nyons and Baronnies Union was then created to allow the return of olive groves and orchards of the region. They selected the variety Tanche for its resistance. We are at the northern part of the olive culture, a product of the Mediterranean basin which obtained its first AOC in 1994. Beautiful revenge on the freeze of 1956!

Nyons is very famous for its olives. During this weekend, many activities will be proposed. Folkloric concerts, dances and workshops … It’s also a moment to discover the olive road in the middle of a Citroen 2CV ride, as well as to trudge along the olive path! You will go to our hilltop villages which also live from the culture of the famous black olive! This will be an opportunity to discover our oil mills, the Nyonsais cooperative and its museum, where we learn the basics about olive oil know-how and the black pearl of the Baronnies.

Alicoque - Scourtinerie

Alicoque - Scourtinerie

 Olive fields

Olive fields

Olives

Olives

See you at Frédérique and Arnaud Fert’s workshop in the Scourtinerie. Exceptional site of the city of Nyons where the famous oil filters called “scourtins” are still made by hand. Then you can go shopping around the streets  to get some olives, oil, tapenade and affinade, pottery, Provençal fabrics, jams, lavender, soaps and other Provençal specialties ..)

To extend the pleasure…Let’s discover the olive heritage of Nyons for several days, enjoying an all-inclusive stay on the roads of the local products and gastronomy…