Griottines

THE ORCHARD

A 200 HECTARE AREA DEDICATED TO GRIOTTINES®

The work of the distiller and the agriculturalist begins when the first wild cherries start to flower, from which point they will be monitored until the fruit has become fully ripe: irrigation determines the caliber of the fruit, and sunlight determines its fructose content.

Depending on these criteria, as well as the firmness of the fruit, Grandes Distilleries Peureux decides on the precise areas to be harvested and the quantities per area. The first challenge is the fact that Oblachinska sour cherries, which have a very particular flavor and form and are the only type used to make Griottines, only grow in the Balkans.

The orchard: an area of 200 ha dedicated to Griottines in the Balkans

Harvesting: 500 million wild cherries picked by hand

PICKING THE FRUIT

Over 500 million wild Morello cherries are picked by hand. Picking the fruit is done exclusively by hand, by specially trained staff, and the fruit must absolutely be harvested without the stem.

For thirty years, Grandes Distilleries Peureux has continuously developed and mastered the cultivation of these Morello cherries so that today, over 500 million of these little perfectly round, bright red rubies are harvested in just 3 weeks.

First of all, the morello cherries are taken to the collection center, which is located as close as possible to the harvesting site, where they are washed and sorted for the first time. The fruit is then graded to ensure that any which are not between 14 and 20mm in diameter are not kept. In 2006, 16,856 barrels were filled during the harvest.

A UNIQUE RECIPE

Quality

Stringent tests

The Grandes Distilleries Peureux laboratories are a benchmark within the industry. Once the barrels arrive, each one is checked. Rigorous tests are carried out by sampling. They examine the fruit, their physical and organoleptic properties, as well as the quality of the first maceration.

PACKAGING

A seductive case, symbolic of the brand

First the casing, which is both a box and a frame. A perfect square, completely smooth, exceedingly modern. Tinted with red, it plays on its transparency and asserts a tremendous elegance. By its translucent nature, it takes on a perfectly spherical, round like the earth, round like the fruit; where the metallic reflections and the wall of completely pure glass enhance the spectacular natural beauty of Griottines.