Asperge du Blayais

Asperges du Blayais is a PGI covering white and violet fresh asparagus grown and harvested in a defined area of the Blayais, Gironde and adjacent Charente-Maritime communes. The designation requires production on sandy soils with a mean sand content above 75 percent, systematic earthing-up to preserve whiteness, and post-harvest chilling within ten hours of cutting.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 19 August 2014 under file number PGI-FR-01254 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015965), Asperges du Blayais covers white and violet fresh asparagus produced and harvested within a delimited area of the Gironde and Charente-Maritime departments, encompassing named communes including Blaye, Cavignac, Laruscade and Mirambeau, among others. The geographical area is centred on the géopédological domain of the Sables du Périgord, where mean sand content on the plot exceeds 75 percent. Permitted varieties are Andreas, Avalim, Cumulus, Darbella, Dariana, Darlise, Emma, Eposs, Grolim, Gynlim, Herkolim, Obelisk, Orane, Ramada, Rambo, Rapsody, Ravel, Thielim, Vilmorin 26, Vilmorin 31, and Vitalim; new varieties may be introduced by the producer group through a defined revision procedure. Spears classified as short measure between 12 and 17 cm; long spears exceed 17 cm; the maximum permitted length is 22 cm and the minimum diameter, measured at mid-length, is 12 mm. After harvest, spears must be placed under cold storage within 10 hours; storage awaiting dispatch must be held at a humidity above 80 percent and a temperature between 2 and 7 degrees Celsius. Sorting must take place within the delimited area. Labelling must carry the protected name Asperges du Blayais and the PGI logo of the European Union.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 28, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 19 August 2014 under file number PGI-FR-01254, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015965.
• The specification requires that the mean sand content of the production plot exceeds 75 percent.
• The interval between harvest and cold storage must never exceed 10 hours.
• Cold storage must be maintained at a humidity above 80 percent and a temperature between 2 and 7 degrees Celsius.

Tasting notes

Bordeaux Blayais white asparagus IGP. Tender white spears with violet-tinged tips.

HoReCa use

Bordeaux spring restaurant centerpiece; served with sauce mousseline; pairs with Bordeaux blancs.

Packaging

• bunch-fresh-500g
• bunch-fresh-1kg
• crate-fresh-5kg

Seasonality