Quality local products

 "A.O.C." PRODUCTS FROM THE SEASIDE AND FROM THE CAMARGUE

Camargue bull meat: recognised as a meat of excellent quality, it became an AOC in 2000. It is characterised by an assertive taste, incomparable flavours, and can be eaten grilled or marinated in Gardianne, a typical Camargue speciality!

The Picholine olive from Nîmes: one of the latest Gard AOCs (obtained in 2006) and one of the flagships of agriculture in the department. The edible olive from Nîmes is a fresh and fleshy fruit, simultaneously firm, juicy and crisp, with a characteristic butter-hazelnut taste.

Olive oil from Nîmes : classed as AOC in 2004, a pure gustatory wonder! A top of the range product obtained naturally via cold pressing within the Gard mills. Its originality comes from its aromatic intensity, together with a particular fieriness and bitterness.

OTHER FLAVOURS FROM THE SEASIDE AND THE CAMARGUE

	The  "Tellines" They may well be very small, but they are delicious, TELLINES are a delight to all lovers of seafoof. This shellfish, a symbol of the beaches of the Camargue, is gathered using traditional methods.
	Camargue rice In the Camargue region, rice is sown under a narrow film of water, from April 20th. It emerges from the water after three weeks to four weeks. The rice plantation then looks like a lush green carpet. The ears form in July and harvest can start at the end of September, until November. It provides a wide variety of products: round rice, long rice, red rice and scented rice all of quality officially recognised by an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) label.
	The Camargue Célestine asparagus or sand asparagus Produced from the sandy soils of the department, it can be found on the market stalls from March until the end of May. The quality of the different terroirs and the mildness of the climate combine to produce straight, white and fragrant asparagus, much prized by top chefs, as well as green asparagus, much appreciated by connoisseurs! It is worth mentioning that for several years, the Gard department has been the leading area for the production of asparagus in France.     .
	The Camargue fleur de sel. It is in summer, when the wind stops blowing, that it forms on the surface of the crystallizers with the sun’s complicity. All the art of being a salt maker consists in being patient in order to dextrously collect, at the right time, this fugitive gift of nature, because the slightest breeze can make these delicate flakes disappear. Mother Nature makes things such that each picking is specific, which is why the name of the salt maker who collected the Fleur de Sel is mentioned on each box..
	The strawberry from Nîmes or “Gariguette”: First open ground fruit of the year in France, the strawberry from Nîmes comes out in spring, around March 15, and can be found until June. The variety on offer is the Gariguette, easily recognisable with its elongated and elegant shape. Gorged with sunshine, it has slight acidity, much to the delight of connoisseurs who constantly seek unusual flavours. The open ground cultivation gives the fruit its terroir-related typicity: early maturity, sweetness-acidity balance.

VINEYARDS

Costières de Nîmes (A.O.C). This vineyard of Roman origin is one of the oldest in Europe. The soil consists of rolled pebbles. The climate is an exceptional asset for these wines. Wind, rain and generous sunshine that warms up the pebbles by day, which then give out their heat to the vines by night. Of mediterranean origin, their range is rich in variety: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, for red and rosé wines, White Grenache, Roussanne, Marsanne... mainly for white wine varieties.

Vins de Pays du Gard (local wines). They are made according to a rigorous process of selection. They are the result of a know-how that has been passed on and improved for generations. Rolled stones from the Costière, calcareous garrigues, sand dune along the coastline: a wide variety of soils that give our vineyards their richness and diversity.

« MILITANT DU GOUT » (Defender of Taste) :

An authenticity charter for traditional Gard products, a unique signature that guarantees consumers the origin, quality, the respect of seasonality and therefore the best possible flavours