New Olive Oil Training and Tasting Center Opens in Provence
The new center at Domaine de La Royère will offer certified training, sensory workshops and programs addressing quality, sustainability and olive tourism.
A new professional olive oil training and tasting center has opened at Domaine de La Royère in Oppède, a village in the Luberon region of southern France.
The center was established by L’HOVE, short for L’Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra, in partnership with Valérie and Yannick Panagiotis, the owners of Domaine de La Royère.
L’HOVE is operated by oleologists Cécile Le Galliard, Cécile Cron and Alexandra Gauquelin-Roché. The organization said the new facility would provide professional training, consumer education and opportunities for technical exchange within the olive oil sector.
The center includes a professional olive oil tasting room equipped in accordance with protocols established by the International Olive Council, as well as classrooms and spaces for sensory workshops.
Programs will be offered to olive growers, millers, distributors, chefs and other food professionals. The curriculum includes technical courses covering different stages of the olive oil value chain and a professional certification recognized by France Compétences.
L’HOVE said online courses are scheduled to begin in September, supplementing the programs held at the center throughout the year.
The organization also plans to use the site for discussions and applied research related to olive oil quality, water management, soil health and productive uses for olive-milling by-products.
Other areas of study are expected to include sustainable production, biodiversity, sensory analysis and the development of olive oil tourism.
L’HOVE said it intends to develop partnerships with universities, research institutes and international organizations, although specific collaborations have not yet been announced.
Future plans for the site include an arboretum dedicated to olive varieties, an experimental olive mill, scientific meetings and collaborative research programs.
The center’s founders said the initiative would also support cooperation between France and other Mediterranean olive-producing countries through professional training and the exchange of technical practices.