Mouliniers: processing the fruit, preserving its distinctive character

Palox of olives at the mill
© Matthieu Colin for France Olive

What is a miller?

The miller is the professional who turns olives into olive oil. He or she is skilled in the various stages of the extraction process: receiving and sorting the olives, washing, crushing (grinding the olives into a paste), kneading, extracting the oil (by pressing or using a centrifugal system) and separating the oil from the olive pomace water. They may also carry out blending.

The miller may be a self-employed individual who processes olives on behalf of olive growers (as a service provider), a cooperative, or a producer who processes their own harvest in their own mill.

What is its role in PDO?

From October to January (the timing varies depending on the variety, the terroir, the desired fruitiness and the vintage), the miller processes the olives into oil.

The specifications are, once again, crystal clear: only mechanical processes are permitted – either the traditional system using millstones and presses, or the modern continuous-flow system.

In order to be able to offer PDO-certified olive oils, the mill must be registered with the PDO ODG as a ‘processor/miller’ ’ and authorised by the certification body.

Oil cans at the mill
© Matthieu Colin for France Olive

His appearances for PDO

  • Milling within the appellation area,
  • Compliance with the maximum time limit between harvest and pressing set out in the specifications to prevent any defects and preserve the aromas.
  • Mandatory records must be kept up to date: olive deliveries by each olive grower identified by the code PDO, volumes pressed, batches of oil produced > each bottle labelled PDO can be traced back to a specific plot and harvest year.
  • Systematic analyses: each batch must meet analytical criteria (acidity, quality parameters) and organoleptic criteria (tasting by trained panels) in order to be labelled as PDO.

Each miller brings their own expertise and personal touch, always within the framework of the PDO: adjusting the mixers, temperatures, blending the varieties… This is where the wide range of flavours that characterise French PDO products is created. Creativity, yes, but always within the rules.