We are fortunate to arrive on market day. Stalls display up to thirty varieties and styles of table olives, oil is available from local growers in bulk, and superb olive woodcarvings are on display. The hotel restaurant serves excellent food. Our apéritifs are accompanied by a dish of cured olives and fresh local olive oil. We then progress through a series of delightful dishes, including duck served with green olives. Local restaurants take pride in their use of local produce, the restaurant Le Homard boasts of its ‘Cuisine a l’Huile d’Olives'.
Fontvielle is on the western edge of the Route de L’Olivier of the Les Alpilles-Le Vallee des Baux region. The town has its own operational oil mill and is surrounded by groves, both old and new. On the outskirts of town is an extensive new plantation. The use of an intensive trellis planting is unusual in the region. In addition the grower prefers a Spanish variety rather than those traditional to the region. The grove is laid out with treated pine strainer poles at 12 metre intervals. Trees are planted at 1.5m intervals staked with bamboo poles secured with wire between strainers. Trees are irrigated using an above ground dripper system.
	The rows are 3m apart. Immature trees are guarded with a plastic sheet tree guard.  Pruning produces a single leader.
Trees are fruit laden just prior to harvest.

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