HONEY FESTIVAL

During this week there are several stalls and shop windows where you can taste and buy products whose protagonist is the precious Aosta Valley honey. The products purchased in the different stalls are sold directly by their producers, who display and describe the honey and its types.

The work with which the nectar is treated is devoid of any heat treatment that could compromise the organoleptic activities.

The task of collecting nectar is entrusted to the foraging bees who leave the hive to look for nectar, honeydew, pollen and water; the substances found are then placed inside the honeycomb bag, where the honey transformation process begins, to which various substances that come directly from the bee's digestive system are added. The other bees then deposit the honey in the special cells which are covered with a layer of wax in order to protect the honey contained in them. The last step is carried out by the beekeeper, who cuts the wax caps to allow the honey to escape.

Subsequently the honey is filtered, kept at a particular temperature and finally placed inside the jars.

This event is organized by the municipal administration in collaboration with the Regional Department of Agriculture, the Association of the Beekeeping Consortium of Valle d'Aosta and the Pro-Loco.

The best producers of the Aosta Valley nectar receive recognition inherent in the category for which they competed, which can be: rhododendron, light millefiori, dark millefiori, chestnut, dandelion or linden honey.

Also present at the event are the Consorzio des Abeilles en Fête of Martigny and the City of Honey of Montelupone.

An event organized by the Beekeeping Consortium of Valle d'Aosta in collaboration with the Assessorato ai Beni Culturali takes place at the Gamba Castle in Châtillon; those who take part have the opportunity to taste some Aosta Valley honeys and finger food based on local products cooked by the Valle d'Aosta Chefs Union.

The award ceremony of the Valle d'Aosta Honey Competition then takes place in the room of the Ex Hotel Londres, followed by the free tasting of the awarded honeys, conducted by the tasters of the Department. The latter also carry out chemical-physical analyzes and melissopalynological analyzes on all the honey samples before admitting them to the Competition.

The visit to this festival is recommended for both adults and children, because it is full of activities: guided tours to discover the life of bees, cultural events with the reading of stories and poems about honey and cooking workshops organized by the Unione Regionale Cuochi Valle of Aosta.

The protection of the product is entrusted to the Beekeeping Consortium of the Valle d'Aosta, while the marketing is handled by the beekeepers and the Miel du Val d'Aoste cooperative.