The family-run Domaine les Patys winery is located outside the village of Bedoin. Thierry founded the organic winery in 2013. He himself comes from a family of farmers and has traveled a lot around the world in his life. He spent many years in the Himalayas in particular. Thanks to his wife, the Norman-born man now lives at the foot of the highest mountain in the Vaucluse, Mont Ventoux (1909 m).
All of the Domaine's oils are made from 100% Verdale de Carpentras olives . Unlike olive oil from the cooperative or the oil mill, only olives from our own harvest are processed. Bottling also takes place on the farm. This allows for optimal quality control and excellent olive oils.
The amount of olive oil available varies greatly from year to year. The climate of the year in question obviously plays a role. But so does the natural cycle of the trees. It is normal for the trees to produce far fewer olives in some years than in others. 2020 was actually not a very productive year in Provence. Thierry only produced around 500 litres of olive oil from his 400 or so olive trees this year .
In total, the organic winery covers around 10 hectares of land.
Some of the olive groves and vines are around 40 years old. In total, 1.2 hectares are planted with Verdale de Carpentras olive trees, the traditional olive variety here in the Vaucluse, also called Angladau.
Since this is a small area, the olives can still be harvested manually. The pressing is done cold and mechanically in the local mill. Unlike industrial olive oil, this olive oil is unfiltered and unpasteurized. This means that the valuable aromas and ingredients of the olives are retained in the final product. This traditional way of working requires a lot of manual work and time.
The lands of the Domaine les Patys lie within the UNESCO Mont Ventoux Biosphere Reserve . The region is characterised by dry Mediterranean landscapes, with Mont Ventoux towering imposingly over the lands. The climate is characterised by extreme fluctuations. The summers are very hot and dry and in winter temperatures can drop to as low as -15°C. In addition, there is a Mistral wind which can blow with gusts of up to 110 km/h.
UNESCO biosphere reserves protect regions with exceptional biodiversity.
The aim of these model regions is to reconcile people's lives with the protection of nature. In order to protect the extraordinary ecosystem, sustainable agriculture must be practiced and settlement in the region will also be limited.