The apple juice of Le Vigan

Perfumed, delicately sweet, light and soft in the mouth, the apple juice is perfect for breakfast or whenever you feel like it.

A health ally, the apple juice is a true friend for those who are watching their cholesterol or fighting fat. Moreover, naturally rich in fibre, the apple juice is good for the belly.

Good to know! Both delicious and healthy, The Vigan apple juice also has the advantage of highlighting one of the local products of the Cévennes, an old variety of small apples, yellow to red in colour, which can be eaten raw or cooked.

The apple juice of Vigan made in Jean-Marc Arnoux... Juice tasting!

Hello,

How long have you been saling on the markets ?

In my family, we are market gardeners from father to son, and this for 8 generations.

I grow apples (reinette - rennet, golden, royal gala, chantecler), pears and onions from the Cévennes on my 5-hectare farm. I sell them at the markets in Uzès and Nîmes. I like the contact with the customer, without intermediaries. It's direct from the producer to the customer.

As for the apple juice, the idea came to me at the beginning of the 80s to embark on this other adventure. Before that, I had to take a course in fruit juice production in Haute-Savoie. Today, I delegate the production to a craftsman in Provence, who produces about 10,000 bottles with my harvest.

The commune of Mandagout, made up of some 40 hamlets, lies in the heart of the Cévennes.

This is where the hamlet of l'Arboux is located, and where Jean-Marc Arnoux's farm is situated.

L'Arboux owes its name to the river of the same name.

What do you consider to be the main qualities of the Vigan reinette apples?

Above all, the taste! Nothing compares to the reinette du Vigan, an old, rustic apple, full of character and assets. The taste of the fruit is perfectly reflected in the juice.

What are the steps in making apple juice?

First of all, we have to test the sugar level of the fruit before picking it.

After this stage, we harvest our apples from the beginning of September till the end of October. We wash them, sort them, grading them, before sending them for pressing.

Pressed once cold, the juice is then pressed twice hot, before being pasteurised. In total, we produce 1,000 litres per day, over two weeks.

Every week, my customers can find a few bottles on my stand. This is an opportunity for some to discover apple juice, and for others to enjoy or share a more traditional fruit juice.

Good to know : from the Mandagout, you can reach the col de la Lusette, where the tomb of writer André Chamson, born in Nîmes, and his wife, is located. From Le Vigan, you can also reach the pass via the literary trail.

Many thanks to Jean-Marc Arnoux (who can be found every Wednesday at the Place aux Herbes market in Uzès, next to the florist, and on Fridays in Nîmes, at the farmers' market) for his collaboration on this article.

To read: our article on La Reinette du Vigan with, as a bonus, some recipes.