Growing a Legacy: A Closer Look at the Royal Riviera® Pear

Known, loved, and sought after year after year, Royal Riviera® Pears are Harry & David's signature Comice pears, grown in Oregon's Rogue Valley. Below is a history of the fruit and tips on ripening, pairing, and serving them at holiday gatherings.

What Are Royal Riviera® Pears?

Brought to Oregon's Rogue Valley from Angers, France, Royal Riviera® Pears are renowned for their creamy texture and extra juiciness. They grow well in only a few places; fortunately Rogue Valley is one of them! Harvest begins in late August, and after at least 28 days in cold storage to concentrate their sweetness, the pears are shipped ready to finish ripening at home for holiday sharing.

Planting the Seeds for Success

While the Harry & David company has existed since 1934, these Comice pears were introduced to Southern Oregon in the 1870s by a French horticulturist. Comice pears have long been valued for their flavor and considered a delicacy, but they're difficult to grow. They flourished here after being grafted onto a hardier root stock.

READ MORE: What Kind of Pear Is a Royal Riviera Pear?

The original plantings in Bear Creek Orchards attracted Seattle businessman Samuel Rosenburg, who purchased the orchards in 1910 for $300,000 (nearly $10 million today). Rosenburg's sons, Harry and David, joined the operation after completing agricultural degrees at Cornell University. When Samuel Rosenburg died in 1914, the brothers took over the orchards and faced the challenge of growing the business.

How Royal Riviera® Pears Became a Holiday Gifting Tradition

The pears' rarity made them a luxury item during the Great Depression, which limited their market. In 1932, Harry took some Royal Riviera® Pears to Seattle to present to businessmen as distinctive gifts for clients. Similar visits to San Francisco, New York, and other cities followed. In 1934, the company now known as Harry & David launched its first catalog and began offering gift boxes of pears.

READ MORE: What Was Christmas Like in 1934, the Year Harry & David Was Founded?

When Are Royal Riviera® Pears Ripe, and How Do You Ripen Them at Home?

Comice pears are difficult to grow and require specific conditions: hot days and cold nights, ample water, and rich soil. Trees take about five years to produce their first fruit.

Caring for the trees requires year-round work. Prep for one harvest begins soon after the previous one ends. More than 700,000 trees across 1,640 acres are pruned by hand in winter, and orchard teams monitor for frost in spring, using special heating systems to protect buds. Local bees are brought in around April for pollination, and teams monitor tree health throughout the growing season.

Leading up to harvest, the pears are checked regularly for the right sugar content. Then the hundreds of acres of orchards are harvested by hand for about four weeks. After they're handpicked, pears are handled carefully to prevent dings, scratches, and sun damage. They're moved in trucks with special shocks to reduce bruising and floated out of bins on water flumes to minimize marks on the skin. Pears go to cold-storage facilities that simulate autumn cooling to concentrate sugar; they remain there for at least 28 days before being shipped.

Royal Riviera® Pears finish ripening at home. Leave them at room temperature and check the neck for a slight give near the stem; when the flesh yields to gentle pressure, they are at their juiciest and best for eating. To prolong this period before a gathering, move ripe pears to the refrigerator.

READ MORE: How Harry & David Grows the Juiciest Pears

How to Serve Royal Riviera® Pears at a Holiday Gathering

A basket of Royal Riviera® Pears makes a strong visual and gustatory contribution to a table. For presentation, pile ripe pears in a wide, shallow bowl or on a footed cake stand so that their golden blush is visible, or build a grazing board with sliced fruit arranged alongside whole pears for height and texture. If the pears will serve as the tablescape focal point, add a few sprigs of greenery or seasonal citrus for color.

The pears go well with cheeses such as sharp cheddar, creamy blue, or aged Gouda. Cured meats such as prosciutto balance the pears' sweetness. Toasted walnuts or almonds and a little dark chocolate work on a board, and a crisp white wine or a lightly sweet dessert wine complements the fruit without overpowering it.

Slice pears just before serving so that the flesh stays bright; if plating them ahead of time, give slices a quick squeeze of lemon. Serve at cool room temperature to bring out their aroma and juiciness. For a make-ahead option, ripen pears a day or two in advance, refrigerate them, and pull them out about an hour before guests arrive.

See our full pears collection for gifts and options.

Explore Our Royal Riviera® Pear Gifts and Pairings

The Favorite® Royal Riviera® Pears

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Rogue Valley Gift Box

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Deluxe Pears, Apples, and Cheese Gift

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Royal Riviera® Gold Pear Gift

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90 Years and Still Sharing

Nearly a century ago, our founders identified these pears as distinctive and worked to introduce them more broadly. What began with a father and two brothers grew into a company known for this fruit.

Our commitment to quality has not changed. Only 45% of the pear crop meets aesthetic standards for our gourmet fruit gifts; the remaining fruit is donated to local food pantries.

Harry & David remains one of the world's largest producers of Comice pears. The variety is still grown in a few other places, but changing conditions have led some farmers to stop producing it. We have experienced similar challenges, which affect overall availability and make protecting the crop a priority.