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PGI — Label Rouge — Rhône-Alpes
A young guinea fowl reared in Drôme for between 87 and 100 days, with greyish-blue plumage and firm flesh with a gamey flavour.
Free-range poultry from Rhône-Alpes, PGI (IGP) since 2010.
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The Pintadeau de la Drôme is a young guinea fowl — with the tip of its sternum still flexible and unossified — reared exclusively in Drôme in accordance with a farm-rearing tradition dating back to a ruling by the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Valence on 2 December 1969, which already recognised the appellation of origin. The application for recognition as a PGI was submitted by the Syndicat de défense du pintadeau de la Drôme and presented to the INAO commission on 10 February 2009. The pintadeau is distinguished by an average live weight of 1,750 g (± 450 g) at slaughter and a thin-skinned carcass, presented effilé (minimum weight 1,100 g) or eviscerated without offal (minimum weight 850 g).
The geographical area of Pintadeau de la Drôme covers 256 communes in the département, defined according to climate, cereal production, viticulture and the land's exposure. Drôme lies at the crossroads of a continental climate tempered by oceanic influences in the north and a hot, dry Mediterranean climate in the south, enjoying exceptional sunshine throughout the year and winds that quickly dry both the soil and the aviaries. The slow-growing strains used, with their greyish-blue plumage and dark shanks, have been selected by the Syndicat since 1970 for their adaptation to this terroir.
Appearance
Thin-skinned carcass, not overly fatty, average live weight of 1,750 g (± 450 g) at slaughter; distinctive greyish-blue plumage with dark shanks
Aroma
Assertive character, reminiscent of game — a benchmark that the Syndicat has endeavoured to preserve through its rearing methods
Flavour
More pronounced flavour intensity than standard guinea fowl, often compared to the finest game by chefs who have tasted it
Texture
Firmer, more fibrous flesh than that of industrially reared guinea fowl — the hallmark of slow growth
Rearing takes place in poultry houses at a reduced density (maximum 13 birds/m²), with mandatory access to an outdoor aviary from 6 to 8 weeks of age. The feed, composed exclusively of plant-based raw materials (cereals and cereal by-products, oilcakes, lucerne meal, vegetable oils), consists of at least 70% cereals and cereal by-products as a weighted average during the growing and finishing phases; no animal meal or animal-derived raw materials are included. Grape pips are systematically distributed from the 10th week onwards. Growth-promoting additives and antibiotics are prohibited throughout rearing. Slaughter takes place between a minimum of 87 days and a maximum of 100 days, with no exemptions.
Pintadeau de la Drôme is produced from a cross of specific slow-growing strains, selected by the Syndicat since 1970 for their greyish-blue plumage and dark shanks, a trait that distinguishes them from industrial guinea fowl strains. Only juvenile birds — with a flexible, unossified sternum tip — are eligible for the designation; there is no 'adult' version.
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Cooking: Roast for 30–35 min at 180°C (for a 1.5 kg pintadeau). Its flesh, firmer than that of industrial guinea fowl, holds up well to oven roasting, though it should be watched carefully so as not to dry out.
Accompaniments: White grapes, shallots, tender spring vegetables.
Since: 2010
Area covered: 256 communes of Drôme
Key requirements: Slaughter between a minimum of 87 days and a maximum of 100 days; diet of at least 70% cereals and cereal by-products; maximum density of 13 birds/m² in indoor housing; access to the aviary from 6 to 8 weeks; slow-growing strains selected since 1970
Since: 2010
Area covered: 256 communes of Drôme
Key requirements: Specification historically linked to that of the PGI
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