Since the Neolithic Period more than 10,000 years ago, walnuts and walnut trees have captured the imaginations of people across the world and spawned countless mythological stories and legends. Ancient Persians traditionally reserved the delicacy of walnuts to be enjoyed exclusively by the royal family, as they were seen as the only ones fit to such a uniquely incredible gustatory experience. Greeks and Romans referred to walnuts as “food of the gods” and included walnuts in recipes and healing elixirs for thousands of years.
In France, the walnut tree is the symbol of both the Dauphiné and Périgord regions. Every morning on June 24, French citizens of the Provence region gather to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day by gathering walnuts to bring power and good luck to their friends and loved ones, often shared through the common bond of walnut wine.
In California’s more Mediterranean climate, we at Le Domaine des Trois Pattes gather our walnuts three weeks prior to Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, when the walnuts are still green and milky on the inside with soft kernels and the optimal consistency. The walnut wine is made within 48 hours of harvesting the walnuts to ensure the perfect flavor profile is captured to infuse into the wine.
Here at Le Domaine des Trois Pattes, it is our great pleasure to continue centuries of French tradition to help you enjoy walnuts in their most elegant form: the walnut wine.