EN Official Journal of the European Union C 104/21

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2009/C 104/09

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘WIŚNIA NADWIŚLANKA’

EC No: PL-PDO-0005-0586-04.01.2007

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’

2. Member State or third country:

Poland

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product [as in Annex II]:

Class 1.6. — Fruit,vegetables and cereals fresh or processed

3.2. Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies:

Only the fruit of suckering sokówka cherry trees may be sold under the protected name ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’.

This protected designation of origin relates to the fruit of the wiśnia nadwiślanka cherry tree, grown both for use in the processing industry and, owing to its exceptional taste, for direct consumption. Wiśnia nadwiślanka is one of the types of suckering sokówka cherry trees occurring in Poland that has become common along the river Vistula (Polish: Wisła), hence the name (meaning ‘cherry from along the Vistula’). There is no Latin equivalent. This cherry tree has been selectively derived from the European dwarf cherry, which propagates vegetatively by means of root suckers. Also known as the steppe cherry (Prunus fruticosa Pall.), it belongs to the family Rosaceae Juss., subfamily Prunoideae, genus Prunus L., subgenus Cerasus (Mill.).

Testimony to the presumed descent of the ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ from Prunus fruticosa Pall. is borne by its method of propagation, the size of the fruit, the intensity of the colour and the fact that, in the area of cultivation, relict specimens of Prunus fruticosa Pall. are to be found in now just a few natural enclaves.

The fruit of the wiśnia nadwiślanka are smaller than those of cultivated varieties descended from Prunus avium L., Prunus cerasus L and their hybrids.

The term ‘sokówka’ signifies that the fruit is mainly used for making juice (Polish: sok), the flesh of the cherry having intense colour; the stone is dark and of a colour similar to that of the flesh. The term ‘suckering’ refers to the fact that, five years after planting, cherry trees of this type grow root suckers for propagation.

The fruit is of an intense colour, ranging from dark red to burgundy, uniform over the whole surface of the fruit. The fruit is round and slightly oblate. The stone-to-fruit weight ratio depends on the age of the trees, ranging from 9,4 % to 11,3 %. The diameter of the fruit is 12-20 mm and its weight is 1,6-3,3 g, depending on the age and location of the tree. Supplementary foliar feeding and favourable weather conditions may result in bigger fruit, with a diameter of as much as 25 mm and weighing up to 4 g. The flesh of the fruit is of a dark red colour, uniform throughout. The intense colour is maintained even after processing. The fruit is aromatic, and its taste and smell are characteristic of cherries, the taste being very intense and slightly tart.

Regardless of their intended use, ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries must be sound, with no signs of rotting and no visible foreign matter, free from pests and damage caused by pests, and free from abnormal external moisture and any foreign smell or taste.

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries intended for processing must be harvested without stalks, when the skin of the fruit has reached its full colour. The cherries may be of various sizes and may display sunburn or hail damage, provided that the characteristics of ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ are maintained.

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries intended for direct consumption must be harvested by hand. The fruit must be free from damage and have a fresh appearance.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

All steps in production must take place in the identified geographical area. The orchards must be located in the geographical area defined in (4), on calcareous or calcareous-clay soils. The planting material is obtained from root suckers from productive orchards that are at least five years old, located in the geographical area in question. The planting space must not be less than 4 m by 2 m, giving an area of 8 m2 per tree. Fertiliser is applied in accordance with the standard rules for the use of fertilisers on fruit plants.

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries intended for direct consumption must be harvested by hand. In July harvests, the fruit is picked with stalks, whereas it may be picked without stalks later in the year.

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries that arrive at a processing plant within 24 hours do not need to be chilled. If they are kept for longer periods, they must be adequately chilled.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries are packed into suitable packaging directly at the place of harvesting. The obligation to do so was introduced to ensure appropriate product quality and for the purposes of supervision and monitoring of origin. Cherries intended for direct consumption are harvested into packages of 0,5-5 kg.

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries intended for processing are harvested into latticed boxes of a net weight not exceeding 13 kg or closed-bottom pallet boxes of an appropriate weight.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

None.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

‘Wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries are produced in a geographical area comprising:

— the municipalities of Lipsko, Sienno and Solec nad Wisłą in Lipsko District, Mazowieckie Voivodship,

— the municipalities of Ożarów and Tarłów in Opatów District, Świętokrzyskie Voivodship,

— the municipality of Annopol in Kraśnik District, Lubelskie Voivodship.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The area in which ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries are produced is situated along the river Vistula and is characterised by congenial environmental conditions and a calcareous or calcareous-clay substrate. The topsoil is generally no more than 0,5 m deep, with solid limestone rock underneath. The climatic conditions in the area described are also influenced by its situation alongside the Vistula, Poland’s largest river, in the immediate vicinity of which there is a unique microclimate. In the area where ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries grow, frosts are also liable to occur during the blossoming period, making for variability as regards fruit formation over the years, but their effect is minimised by the warming effect of the Vistula. As a result, the cherry can be cultivated with a relatively high degree of reliability in this geographical area.

The soils in the area where this cherry grows are predominantly neutral and alkaline, and ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ exhibits good tolerance of a pH higher than 7,0, in contrast to cultivated varieties, whose optimum pH is 6,7-7,1. The high pH of these soils is due to their high calcium content (more than 1 000 mg/l).

An important aspect of the area’s specificity is the knowledge and skill of local producers, who have learned how to cultivate a cherry that is characteristic of this area and to adapt cultivation methods to the prevailing soil and climatic conditions. This is reflected above all in the right choice of planting density and the method of removing suckers according to the type of soil in which this cherry tree is planted, and in the removal of root suckers starting from the fifth year of cultivation. If these suckers are left in place, the trees become shrubby and there is a deterioration in the phytosanitary conditions of the crop and the size of the fruit, and a decrease in the yield. With regard to the “wiśna nadwiślanka” cherry’s enhanced resistance to diseases, it is also essential to select appropriate plant protection measures. This concerns in particular measures to control the cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi); the combination of a warm spring and the earlier blossoming of this type of cherry tree can bring on attacks by adult cherry fruit flies at times not recorded in the case of cultivated varieties.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The characteristic features of ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ are as follows:

— fruit size considerably smaller than in cultivated varieties,

— very intense juice colour,

— very high anthocyanin content: more than 115 mg/100 g (using the HPLC method),

— high refractometric index: 16-23 oBx,

— high sugar content: more than 13 %,

— high acidity (organic acid content), at least 1,4 % expressed as malic acid, at a pH of 8,1.

This anthocyanin content of ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries is at least 20 % higher than that of the Łutówka cherry, the most popular cultivated cherry variety in Poland and acknowledged to be the most suitable for processing, and the difference may even be as much as 100 %. The size of the difference and the actual content in absolute terms depend on atmospheric conditions in a particular year and on location.

Another specific feature of ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ is that, after removal of the stalk (notably in the first weeks of the harvest), a small amount of juice is discharged into the stalk cavity and sets like a jelly, preventing further leakage of juice and thus prolonging the life of the fruit as compared with specially cultivated varieties.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

Suckering sokówka cherry trees were originally grown in the area around Słupia Nadbrzeżna. With time, they spread to all parts of the Vistula corridor where soil and climatic conditions are similar. As it occurs in this strictly defined area along the Vistula, the cherry derived from the local suckering sokówka cherry tree is known as ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’.

When grown in alkaline soils with a higher calcium content, the trees are short-lived (20-25 years) and the fruit is smaller, more aromatic and of a more intense colour. In clay soils where the limestone is at a greater depth, trees may be found that are more than 50 years old and have larger, somewhat less aromatic fruit. The presence of calcium in the subsoil makes for high juice condensation, as indicated by the relatively high extract and the pigment content, and the fruit has an excellent taste and is highly sought after by the processing industry. Such characteristics cannot be obtained if the soil has a below-neutral pH and a low calcium content.

If transferred to other geographical areas, the local suckering sokówka usually grows well but has considerable fruit-formation problems. These are due to the relatively early blossoming period and hence the damage caused by cold spring weather, which prevents satisfactory yields. Microclimatic conditions differing from those in the defined geographical area are conducive to larger fruit with a higher water content and lower extract.

The combination of the effect of the locally occurring soils and the proximity of the river not only influences growth and flowering but also results in a high degree of fruit formation and fruit of the highest quality possessing the specific properties listed in (5.2). The quality is closely and inextricably linked to the location of the orchards and the soil and climatic conditions prevailing there. All other cherry varieties grow and fruit poorly under the soil and climatic conditions prevailing in the defined area.

Apart from the specific environment in which ‘wiśnia nadwiślanka’ cherries grow, the final quality of the product owes a great deal to the exceptional skills of local producers described in (5.1).

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

http://www.bip.minrol.gov.pl/strona/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabOrgId=1620&LangId=0

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.