La Tourangelle

There used to be small artisan oil mills along the Loire river that roasted and extracted oil from nuts gathered by local farmers. La Tourangelle is now one of just a handful of remaining mills keeping this tradition alive. In the early 1990s, ownership passed to the Kohlmeyer family, and the company entered a renaissance phase that saw its business expand internationally. In 2002, the second-eldest son, Mattieu, moved to California's Bay Area and recreated his family's French artisan oil mill—replicating century-old traditions with custom-made equipment and training the American staff by an oil-roasting artisan from France. Today, La Tourangelle remains a thriving family-owned business whose artisan oil production is the fruit of passion, integrity, and pride that has been keeping their heritage alive in Saumur, France and—since 2002—Woodland, California.