Walnut production in Aiguevive
Aiguevive’s Walnut Grove is a 5 hectares green oasis that delimitates the Domain. It is planted with 400 walnut trees from 14 different varieties destined for walnut production. It was founded in the early 2000s and is a sanctuary for ancient and unique walnut varieties in Périgord. It is cultivated organically.
The walnut harvest is sold in shell, in nets or transformed into oil. Aiguevive’s walnut oil is a 100 % made with organic walnuts from the property.
The XVth century walnut oil Mill stands at the edge of the property large bridle path. It is made of stones and chestnut wood. It was restored in 2011 and is labelled by the Fondation du Patrimoine. It is composed of an upper room where large windows offer a stunning view of the manor and the mill pool, and a lower room sheltering an authentic stone oil mill and opening on the Great Walnut Grove.
The Perigord Walnut
Symbol of abundance, fertility and longevity, the walnut was present in many ancestral practices in Périgord’s popular culture. During weddings, for example, walnuts were thrown as their shells were a symbol of the perfect union.
In France, there are two PDOs: The Grenoble walnut (in shells) and the Perigord walnut (kernels).
Omnipresent in Perigord since prehistory (Périgord was a Cro-Magnon habitat in 17000 BC), the culture of walnuts was institutionalized in the XIth century and the farmers paid off their debts with walnut setiers, and with walnut oil, as precious as gold then.
The production of walnut oil was sent to Bordeaux via the famous boats that sailed the Dordogne River in the XVIIth century (Gabarres) to be sold in Holland, the United Kingdom and Germany.
It had many different uses, from lighting (in oil lamps) to cosmetics (soaps and creams), food preservation and cooking. Many studies praise the qualities of this miraculous fruit. More recently, the many virtues of walnut oil have raised interest in the nutrition world as it is rich in essential fatty acids – necessary for the development of the brain and the retina – phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B, zinc, copper, and polyunsaturated fats.
Visits & store access
For further information, store opening times, or to visit the Mill,
contact us at contact@agence-neuville.com or fill in this form
You can also reach us by phone
