Golden Delicious from Limousin in south-west France has been granted the first ever Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for apples and as a result a new AOC sticker is in the pipeline for fruit of the variety grown in the region.

Limousin is basing its AOC status on the difference its geology makes to its Golden Delicious. These account for 80 per cent of the apples grown in the region.

Director of the Association Pommes de Limousin, Didier Briantais, is aware of the apparent paradox of the AOC strategy. "There are local varieties, but they are not commercially reliable croppers in the way that Golden Delicious is," he said.

Golden Delicious from Limousin is firm and juicy, without the floury textures found in lower altitude plantings. The region accounts for six per cent of total French apple production and 12 per cent of the country's Golden Delicious plantings.

"By applying AOC status to our Golden Delicious crops, we can establish the differentiating features of our apples which are due to the climate and geology," said Briantais. The AOC zone is easily established as it forms the foothills of the once volcanic Massif Central and is built on metamorphic rocks. These occur at 300-500m above sea level and are readily identifiable from the soil colour.

"Our members produce 100,000 tonnes of apples a year, half of which are sold in France, 24 per cent in the UK and a further 20 per cent in Spain," says Briantais.

The higher altitude contributes to a generally lighter colour in the fruit, with little or no blushing.