The area in which Noix de Grenoble are produced covers 261 municipalities in three departments in the valle d'Iseère for a total of 7,000 hectares.
There are three main varieties:
Franquette (oblong and very aromatic), Mayette (amber colour, big grades, delicate flavour) and Parisienne (small and oblong or rectangular, very aromatic).
Thanks to the PDO mark, Noix de Grenoble are the global standard in terms of quality. Almost 60% of the French walnut production is exported.
Noix de Grenoble DOP: volumes (in tons) and destinations
Blue: domestic market; green: exports. Click here to enlarge.
In 2013, quite a cold winter and low spring temperatures somewhat affected the development of fruits, yet harvesting was 16.6% higher than 2012.
Yves Borel, Chairman of the Noix de Grenoble Interbranch Committee (CING), stated that "the PDO mark is a further guarantee for a product with a unique flavour and produced according to traditional techniques."
Harvesting was quite abundant in 2013, but the share of PDO fruit remains stable, as criteria are quite strict.
Europe
FAO data shows how Europe eats 180,000 tons of walnuts every year. The French eat around 500 g if walnuts per capita (Source: IPSOS Marketing).
The European market is essential for Noix de Grenoble, as 60% are exported there. During the 2013/14 campaign 6,349 tons were exported +30.21% with respect to 2010 and the figures keep increasing.
Click here to enlarge.
Italy
According to CING data, exports to Italy reached 1,654 tons in 2013/14. France is the second walnut supplier of the country, as Italians are keen consumers throughout the entire year, with a peak at Christmas time.