Cerises des coteaux du Ventoux

The earliest written records of cherry cultivation in the area date back to the 17th century, when it was primarily intended for household consumption, grown in gardens or scattered amongst cereal fields and along embankments. At the beginning of the 20th century, after successive frosts decimated the olive groves, the hardier cherry tree took over, and its cultivation expanded widely around the Ventoux. Production was then organised around its markets: a market was established in Saint-Didier in 1960, followed by three Marchés d'Intérêt National (Avignon, Châteaurenard, Cavaillon) and the Carpentras marché-gare in the 1960s; a growers' union was formed in 1980, prior to the filing of the application for PGI recognition in 2002; today, Fruiventoux, a defence and management organisation recognised by the INAO since 23 February 2022, manages the designation. The PGI, registered on 11 June 2021 by the European Commission, is the first French certification for cherries.

The geographical area extends across the foothills of Mont Ventoux, between the plain of the Comtat Venaissin and the Luberon massif, with an altitude ranging from 50 to 600 metres. It benefits from a Mediterranean climate characterised by generous sunshine (2,760 hours per year) and by the Mistral, which softens closer to the relief of the Ventoux. A pronounced day-night temperature range, linked to cold air masses descending from the summit (1,912 m), fosters the production of ripe, colourful, and firm fruit.

Vaucluse remains France's leading cherry producer, with nearly 4,000 hectares planted and an annual harvest of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes. Every year, the Festival Ventoux Saveurs celebrates the sector with local terroir festivals dedicated to the harvest and cherry gastronomy — cerises à l'eau-de-vie, clafoutis, jams. The communes of the PGI area — Bédoin, Mormoiron, Malaucène, Venasque, Saint-Didier, Pernes-les-Fontaines, amongst others — punctuate an orchard landscape where fresh cherries are savoured during the summer season.