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Label Rouge — PGI — Aquitaine
Chickens, capons and guinea fowl reared for at least 81 days on the hillsides of Armagnac and Gers — slow-growing rustic strains, non-GMO maize, Label Rouge since 1971, PGI since 1996.
Free-range poultry from Aquitaine, PGI (IGP) since 1996.
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Poultry farming in Gascogne dates back to ancient times, but it was truly in the 16th century, during the reign of Henri IV, that regional agriculture experienced a real boom: the spread of sharecropping enabled more intensive land cultivation, and maize — brought from Spain under the name of « blé d'Inde » — quickly became a major crop, forming the basis of the diet for Gascon poultry. Among the rustic strains traditionally reared in the Garonne valley, from the Gironde to the Pyrénées, the Gasconne hen stands out for its glossy black plumage with metallic sheen, its hardiness and its remarkably delicate white flesh. Threatened by the arrival of industrial breeds ill-suited to free-range rearing, it gradually disappeared over the course of the 20th century; its rescue was organised around the last traditional flocks found in the 1980s on a few farms in Landes, Lot-et-Garonne and Gers.
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Initially reserved for family use, Gascon poultry served as a currency of exchange for various services. Under the sharecropping system that became widespread in the 16th century, poultry was also used to pay dues owed to landlords; the farmyard, managed primarily by women, thus became a genuine source of income, before poultry farming expanded towards direct sales on local markets.
The 1960 Agricultural Guidance Act established the Label Rouge in France as the country's first official quality mark. Spurred on by several Gascon farmers, the region's first professional poultry sector was set up, equipped with purpose-built poultry houses supplying several abattoirs, including « Les Fermiers de Gascogne » — which obtained Label Rouge recognition as early as 1971 for the quality of its chickens. Twenty-five years later, in 1996, the protected geographical indication anchored this reputation across the territory of Gascogne — Gers, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The range has since broadened to include chicken, poularde, capon, guinea fowl, guinea fowl capon and turkey.
Appearance
Plump poultry with well-developed muscle mass and an adequate level of fat cover; thin skin, yellow or white in colour depending on the strain.
Aroma
Pronounced aromas of farm-reared poultry, cereal notes linked to maize; a fragrance characteristic of extensive free-range rearing.
Taste
Full grain flavour, marked by a diet rich in maize (up to 50% of the cereal ration for yellow-fleshed poultry); distinct aromatic typicity, clearly distinguishable from industrial poultry.
Texture
Firm flesh, the direct result of slow growth and free-range rearing on tree-planted or grassy runs.
Volailles de Gascogne include chicken — available in three plumage colours (black, yellow, white), nicknamed « the Three of Gascogne » —, guinea fowl and its guinea fowl capon, capon and poularde for festive markets, and turkey for large tables. All come from slow-growing rustic strains; among them, the heritage Gasconne breed, saved from near extinction in the 1980s, is an emblematic but not exclusive component — the PGI specifications authorise several approved rustic strains.
The birds have free access to outdoor grassy or wooded areas, encouraging natural foraging and exploratory behaviour.
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Gascon chicken is cooked as a confit with duck or simply roasted in goose fat, served with a gratin dauphinois or haricots tarbais. Gascogne guinea fowl pairs wonderfully with an Armagnac and pruneaux d'Agen sauce — an emblematic match of southern cuisine. Gascon capon, prepared for end-of-year feasts, is stuffed with foie gras and black truffles. The region's wines are natural accompaniments: Madiran for richer meats, and white Côtes de Gascogne for more delicate dishes.
Since: 1971
Area covered: Gascogne
Key requirements: Rustic strains; free-range farm rearing
Since: 1996
Area covered: Gers (32), Landes (40), Lot-et-Garonne (47), Hautes-Pyrénées (65), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) in their entirety + neighbouring cantons of Dordogne, Gironde and Tarn-et-Garonne
Key requirements: Slow-growing strains; 81 days min. (chicken); 50% non-GMO maize (yellow-fleshed poultry); tree-planted or grassy runs
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