EN Official Journal of the European Union C 91/15

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2016/C 91/11)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘CAFÉ DE VALDESIA’

EU No: DO-PDO-0005-01197 — 30.1.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Café de Valdesia’

2. Member State or Third Country

Dominican Republic

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.8. Other products listed in Annex I to the Treaty (spices, etc.)

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

‘Café de Valdesia’ is the fruit of the coffee tree (Coffea arabica L.), of the typica and caturra varieties, which is shade grown in the defined geographical area — comprising the main coffee-growing areas in the Provinces of Ocoa, Peravia and San Cristóbal — and meets the specific requirements set out below.

‘Café de Valdesia’ may be placed on the market as green coffee, roasted coffee beans or ground roasted coffee.

Physical characteristics of the green coffee: bean size: a minimum of 75 % of the weight of the beans must be retained by screen 17 and not more than 5 % may pass through screen 16. The coffee must be 100 % newly harvested, conserving its characteristic uniform greyish-green colour. The apparent density of the beans must be at least 675 g/l and the moisture content must be 10,0-11,5 %. The final product may have a maximum of 22 defects per 350 g sample and not more than one primary defect.

Organoleptic characteristics: when tried at tastings, the green coffee must have medium body, mild acidity and a sweet taste, and be well balanced with an absence of negative impressions and foreign tastes from the first sip through to the aftertaste (clean cup). It may sometimes have particular attributes, such as a nutty or chocolatey aroma.

The roasted coffee beans must have the following physical and chemical characteristics: large bean size, specific chemical composition and degree of roast that must always be within the range corresponding to: ‘café oscuro’ (dark) (espresso, European or high) — maximum — and ‘café medio’ (medium) (medium high, American or city) — minimum — thus corresponding to ‘dark’, ‘medium dark’ or ‘medium’.

The ground roasted coffee must have the following physical and chemical characteristics: not only must it have the specific chemical composition and degree of roast described above for the roasted coffee beans, but also a specific particle size, as the grind must be either ‘coarse’, ‘medium’ or ‘fine’.

Organoleptic characteristics: the flavour in the cup of the coffee from roasted beans and the ground roasted coffee, when tried at tastings, will depend on the degree of roast and the resulting chemical composition, as explained below:

(i) medium roast: (a) average chemical composition: caffeine, 1,34 %; oils, 12,9 %; total sugars, 3,1 %; and chlorogenic acids, 3,98 %; (b) organoleptic characteristics: clean cup, medium body, mild acidity, sweet taste, well balanced and with occasional aromatic notes of nuts and chocolate.

(ii) medium-dark roast: (a) average chemical composition: caffeine, 1,43 %; oils, 13,8 %; total sugars, 3,9 %; and chlorogenic acids, 3,03 %; (b) organoleptic characteristics: clean cup, medium-full body, medium-low acidity, sweet taste, with a roasted aftertaste and occasional aromatic notes of chocolate.

(iii) dark roast: (a) average chemical composition: caffeine, 1,12 %; oils, 15,7 %; total sugars, 2,8 %; and chlorogenic acids, 1,95 %; (b) organoleptic characteristics: clean cup, full body, low acidity, spicy taste, with a prolonged aftertaste and occasional aromatic notes of bitter chocolate.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

Consignments of green coffee: the raw material is the coffee berry, i.e. the fruit of the coffee tree (Coffea arabica L.), of the typica and caturra varieties, which is shade grown on estates registered as users with the Regulatory Board and the certification body, and located within the defined area at altitudes of 600-1 300 metres above the average sea level. This raw material is harvested at the peak of ripeness, so as to avoid having more than 2 % unripe beans, and is then wet-processed (wet stage and dry stage).

Consignments of roasted coffee, whether coffee beans or ground: the raw material is the green coffee that has been certified prior to roasting and grinding, so that it meets all the physical and organoleptic requirements laid down for the green coffee. The certified green coffee, as the raw material from which the roasted coffee beans and ground coffee are produced, undergoes controlled processing which includes roasting, grinding, packaging, labelling and packing in accordance with specific requirements designed to ensure that it retains the physical and organoleptic characteristics of the certified product.

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

All steps in the production of ‘Café de Valdesia’ must take place within the defined geographical area, which has suitable soil and climatic conditions and a long tradition of producing coffee using the approved processes and methods. Therefore the coffee beans must be grown and processed into green coffee and the green coffee processed into roasted coffee beans or ground roasted coffee within the defined geographical area.

On a transitional basis, for the first four years after the ‘Café de Valdesia’ PDO has been entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications, registered estates may grow up to 10 % of coffee trees of varieties other than typica and caturra, provided that they are of the arabica species.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product to which the registered name refers

The product must be packed and packaged in accordance with the following rules, which are different for each type of coffee. The product does not have to be packed and packaged in the defined geographical area.

The green coffee and roasted coffee beans must be packed in sacks made of jute, sisal, plant fibre or other suitable materials, which are of good quality and pest- and odour-free. In addition, for the roasted coffee beans, the sack must be lined with an innocuous, inert insulating material that constitutes an adequate barrier between the product and the outside environment, in order to preserve its organoleptic characteristics. Green coffee and roasted coffee beans intended for export may also be packed in chests made from wood or wood derivatives with metal fittings.

The ground roasted coffee must be vacuum-packed or packed in containers that have a degassing valve. If they do not have this valve, the product must be degassed before it is packed. The coffee must be packed in a closed system that prevents it from coming into contact with moisture and oxygen, using packaging materials that are opaque, resistant and innocuous and that constitute an adequate barrier between the product and the outside environment, so that its properties will be conserved for at least six months. The product must be packaged in packaging that is resistant and innocuous and allows the product to be properly preserved.

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

The sacks of green coffee and roasted coffee beans must be marked as follows: ‘PRODUCTO DE LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA’; TYPE: ‘CAFÉ DE VALDESIA DOP’; BATCH NUMBER: —; EXPORTER: (and any other commercial name used by the exporters for a given type of coffee); ICO CODE: —; Café de Valdesia certification logo.

The packaging of ground roasted coffee must bear a label giving, among other information, the following details: the designation ‘Café de Valdesia DOP’, degree of roast (which must be: ‘café oscuro’ (dark roast), ‘café medio oscuro’ (medium dark roast) or ‘café medio’ (medium roast)) and the grind (which must be: ‘molienda gruesa’ (coarse ground), ‘molienda media’ (medium ground) or ‘molienda fina’ (fine ground)), and the ‘Café de Valdesia’ logo must be prominently displayed on the main face of the packaging.

The packaging of the ground roasted coffee must also bear a printed, pre-numbered guarantee stamp. The Spanish version of the Café de Valdesia logo is shown below:

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area lies within the current political and administrative boundaries of the provinces of San Cristóbal, Peravia and Ocoa. It comprises the following municipalities: San Cristóbal, Villa Altagracia, Yaguate, Bajos de Haina, Cambita Garabitos, San Gregorio de Nigua, Sabana Grande de Palenque and Los Cacaos (province of San Cristóbal), Baní and Nizao (province of Peravia) and San José de Ocoa, Sabana Larga and Rancho Arriba (province of Ocoa). It covers a total of 288 148,45 ha.

The coffee-berry production area, which is located between 600 metres and 1 300 metres above sea level, lies within this defined geographical area, and in the southern part of the Cordillera Central, which has the highest peaks to be found on any island in the Caribbean. More specifically, this production area lies within the following municipalities: Villa Altagracia, Cambita Garabitos, Los Cacaos, Baní, San José de Ocoa, Sabana Larga and Rancho Arriba. It covers a total of 125 066,98 ha.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The area where the ‘Café de Valdesia’ coffee berries are grown has specific features that make it a unique place to grow coffee, as it combines the following factors:

(i) Soil chemistry: predominantly acid and acid magnesium soils, with medium cation-exchange capacity (CEC) and pH values between 4,9 and 6,8 and an average of 5,7, a range which distinguishes it from soils in neighbouring regions and is ideal for coffee growing.

(ii) Physical characteristics of the soil: average soil texture is sandy (55 %), with 26 % clay soils and 18 % loam. Thus, the nutrients dissolve in water and can be absorbed by the roots and then transported to all parts of the plant. With the right porosity, a good root system allows the plant to explore a sufficient volume of soil to obtain water and nutrients, which means good growth and good production. It should also be mentioned that in the Valdesia region coffee is grown under a canopy of shade which provides a carpet of decomposed dead leaves, ensuring that the plantation is supplied with a sufficient amount of organic matter.

(iii) Climate and orography: the growing area has a relatively unvarying climate (typical of humid and very humid forest) that is clearly affected by its location in a mountainous region, its altitude above sea level (from 600 to 1 300 metres), the average annual temperature of 20,5 °C and the average annual rainfall of around 1 500 mm. Unlike other Dominican coffee-growing areas, Valdesia has the lowest average rainfall in the country, although the rain is well distributed throughout the year.

The rest of the defined area, which lies at an altitude of less than 600 metres and does not have the characteristics described, is not suitable for growing ‘Café de Valdesia’. However, the high temperatures ideal for sun drying and the availability of flat land without slopes have contributed to this area becoming the site where the different phases in the processing of ‘Café de Valdesia’ take place. Most of the dry processing and roasting plants, factories and other industrial facilities are located in the Valdesia region, which is also justified for practical reasons, such as easy access to main roads and markets. As a result, a deeply rooted tradition of coffee milling has been established, which is unique in the country and clearly contributes to the quality of the final product. Post-harvest handling and processing is done using the know-how that is part of the local coffee culture that developed in the area over time and has been passed down from one generation to the next, conserving the product’s intrinsic qualities. This includes: manual harvesting of the berries at an optimal state of ripeness, wet processing, sun drying, selection and grading with expertise, roasting and grinding subject to special quality controls. The combination of all these natural and human factors that come together in this specific geographical environment are the main factors which create the specific characteristics of ‘Café de Valdesia’ in its various forms.

5.2 Specificity of the product

The green coffee has the following specific characteristics: specific physical characteristics: large bean size (a minimum of 75 % of the weight of the beans must be retained by screen 17 and not more than 5 % may pass through screen 16). Specific chemical composition: the maximum and minimum values are: caffeine, 1,13-1,79 % (of the dry matter); and sucrose, 5,77-8,62 % (of the dry matter). The bean size and average sucrose and caffeine content is higher than that of coffees produced elsewhere in the country, including coffees produced at similar altitudes.

Specific organoleptic characteristics: when tried at tastings the green coffee has medium body, mild acidity and a sweet taste, is well balanced and must give a clean cup. It may sometimes have particular attributes, such as a nutty or chocolatey aroma.

Specific physical characteristics of the roasted coffee beans: the beans are the same size as the green coffee beans used as raw material.

The average chemical composition of the roasted coffee beans and the ground roasted coffee is determined by the degree of roast in accordance with the following specific figures:

(i) medium roast: caffeine, 1,34 % and total sugars, 3,1 %.

(ii) medium-dark roast: caffeine, 1,43 % and total sugars, 3,9 %.

(iii) dark roast: caffeine, 1,12 % and total sugars, 2,8 %.

Specific organoleptic characteristics:

(i) medium roast: mild acidity, sweet taste, well balanced and with occasional aromatic notes of nuts and chocolate;

(ii) medium-dark roast: medium-low acidity, sweet taste, with a roasted aftertaste and occasional aromatic notes of chocolate;

(iii) dark roast: low acidity, spicy taste, with a prolonged aftertaste and occasional aromatic notes of bitter chocolate.

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)

The combination of specific factors that come together in the defined geographical area is what essentially gives ‘Café de Valdesia’ the specific characteristics that distinguish it from other coffees produced in the Dominican Republic.

The main defining characteristic of the green coffee is its large bean size. The beans are bigger than coffee beans produced elsewhere in the country, including those produced at similar altitudes. This is essentially a result of the combination of temperature, rainfall, good rainfall distribution and the pH of the coffee-berry production area’s mainly acid and acid magnesium soils. Average temperatures in the production area are from 16 °C to 25 °C, which allows the fruit to develop slowly. Unlike other Dominican coffee-growing areas, Valdesia has the lowest average rainfall of the country’s coffee-growing areas (an average of around 1 500 mm per year), although rainfall distribution is such that the crop receives rain when it most needs it (after flowering and close to harvest time), which has a decisive influence on the development of the plant, and consequently on the fruit and its constituents.

Another important factor is the directly proportional relationship between bean size and organoleptic quality (the larger the bean, the higher the organoleptic score), which again derives from the area’s climatic conditions (temperature, rainfall and seasonal character) and the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. Acid and acid magnesium soils with medium cation-exchange capacity create a physical-chemical link whereby the molecules of the nutrients the coffee trees find and take up are assimilated in such a way that the fruit is filled with constituents that give the coffee the typical character noted at tastings and generally when it is consumed. There is a direct and strong correlation between the pH values and the degree to which nutrients are taken up from the soil by the intermolecular electrical reaction between soil nutrients and the tree. Consequently, there is a greater proportion of sucrose and caffeine in the chemical composition of ‘Café de Valdesia’, which gives the fruit the sweetness and nutty, chocolatey aroma that is evident in the coffee’s organoleptic profile. The local coffee production tradition (the growing, milling and processing of ‘Café de Valdesia’) also contributes to preserving the inherent quality of the product.

Together with the chemical composition of these coffees, the directly proportional relationship between the bean size and typical organoleptic character is clearly affected by the roasting process. The size of the beans affects the organoleptic character because a larger surface is exposed to heat during the roasting process. Because the beans are larger and of a more uniform size, a greater surface area is exposed to the heat and there are fewer over-roasted beans per batch. This results in more uniform pyrolysis of the chemical constituents, which assures a more similar brew from one cup to another. Finally, the degree of roast helps to determine the physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the processed product, which requires processing skills and techniques that the roasters in the defined geographical area master to perfection.

Publication reference of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

http://valdesia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Pliego_condiciones_Denominacion_Origen_Protegida_2015-B.pdf

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.