BAL HARBOUR 169
THE
PERFUMES
PROVENCE
BUILT
During harvest time in the South of France, exclusive fragrance
farms create an ephemeral experience of sight and smell.
BY KATHRYN ROMEYN
T
he morning air is sweet with the scent of just-
emerged Rosa centifolia blossoms cascading over
fields thriving in southern Provence. Late April or
early May—dependent on the weather, as in a
vineyard—is when the fields begin to hum with activity as
harvesters filter in to pluck the precious flowers the same day
it's bloomed (otherwise it's unusable). The ritualistic picking
is done by hand in the mornings over several weeks and is
meticulous—the fragile flowers are broken off and the
bounteous petals are gently dropped into burlap bags that
are taken to the factory within hours for immediate
distillation.
It's a romantic vision, but not without plenty of work—
pickers collect up to six kilos of roses per hour. Still, spring
is a heavenly time to be in and around the perfume mecca
of Grasse. It's been nearly 500 years since the inland town,
close to Nice and Cannes, began perfume production—an
endeavor that was initially taken on in order mask the stink
wafting up from the town's tanneries. By 1798, perfume won
out over leather as Grasse's bountiful blooms became
famous throughout Europe. The pristine medieval village is
