Publication of an application for amendment of a specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(2022/C 170/10)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within two months from the date of this publication.

REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

‘Roero’

PDO-IT-A1261-AM03

Date of application: 19.7.2018

1. Rules applicable to the amendment

Article 105 of Regulation (EU) n° 1308/2013 – Non-minor modification

2. Description and reasons for amendment

2.1. Labelling rules

For the ‘Roero’ Arneis and ‘Roero’ Arneis Spumante (sparkling) types, the name of the designation can also be used alone without specifying the grape variety, i.e. Roero or Roero Arneis and Roero Spumante or Roero Arneis Spumante.

This amendment reflects the producers’ intention to better promote the name of the designation and reference to the production area, also with regard to white wines produced from Arneis grapes, in line with the provisions already in place for the ‘Roero’ Rosso (red) type based on Nebbiolo grapes.

Point 9 (Further conditions) of the single document and Articles 1 and 7 of the product specification have been amended.

2.2. Designations and wines

Introduction of a ‘Roero’ / ‘Roero’ Arneis Riserva type – Category (1) Wine

The producers wanted to capitalise on the suitability for ageing of ‘Roero’ PDO wines made from grapes of the Arneis variety, which is widely grown in the production area. This reflects an ever-increasing trend among producers of this wine in recent years, while also allowing them to expand the range of wines on offer to consumers.

Point 4 (Description of the wines) of the single document and Articles 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the product specification have been amended.

2.3. Production area

This is an editorial change involving a more detailed description of the production area’s boundaries. The words ‘until it reaches the Piobesi d’Alba-Guarene provincial highway’ have been replaced by ‘until it reaches Provincial Highway SP 10. It continues along this highway up to its junction with Regional Highway SR 29, which it follows northwards as far as the Corneliano d’Alba-Guarene municipal boundary, which it follows until it joins Provincial Highway SP 171.’

This is a more accurate demarcation of the production area which does not entail any change to or extension of the area itself.

Point 6 (Demarcated geographical area) of the single document and Article 3 (Grape production area) of the product specification have been amended.

2.4. Winegrowing rules

(a) The words ‘altitude: not more than 400 m above sea level’ have been deleted.

The altitude limit for vines of 400 m above sea level has been deleted because such altitudes are not found in the production area; it was therefore considered preferable to delete this reference to ensure that the specification reflects reality.

Article 4(2) of the product specification has been amended.

(b) The restrictions on the training and pruning systems to be used have been deleted as, besides the traditional methods of vertical trellising and Guyot pruning, other systems may also be used to produce quality grapes in the quantities laid down in the specification.

Agronomic and viticulture practices have evolved over the years and producers have established that the Arneis variety, in particular, can be grown successfully even using different types of pruning to those currently allowed and that make it possible to obtain grapes with the ideal characteristics for producing quality ‘Roero’ PDO wines. The producers can adopt the practices they consider most suitable for improving the quality of the grapes and the wines they produce.

Article 4(2) of the product specification has been amended.

(c) Emergency irrigation is permitted.

As a result of climate change in recent years and also in view of the fact that the soil in the Roero area is predominantly sandy, it is considered prudent to include this possibility in order to avoid water stress problems in particular in younger plants.

Article 4 of the product specification has been amended.

2.5. Rules on winemaking

Compulsory ageing periods have been added for the ‘Roero’ (white) types with the term Riserva (16 months) and with an additional geographical indication (4 months).

A minimum ageing period has been fixed, based on the producers’ experience, with regard to the characteristics of excellence they intend to use to classify these wines.

Article 5 (Rules on winemaking) of the product specification has been amended.

2.6. Description of the wines – Characteristics on consumption

For the ‘Roero’ / ‘Roero’ Arneis types, Category (1) Wine, the values for minimum total alcoholic strength by volume and minimum sugar-free extract have been increased and the colour descriptors have been expanded.

These amendments are based on the results of analyses carried out on wines produced over the past 5 years, and are linked to the consequences of climate change, in particular higher temperatures, as a general and steady increase in minimum temperatures has been observed which affects the strength of the grapes and the concentration of extracts.

In response to these conditions, the minimum total alcoholic strength has increased from 11 % vol. to 12 % vol. and the minimum sugar-free extract has increased from 15 g/litre to 15.50 g/litre for the ‘Roero’ / ‘Roero’ Arneis types, also Riserva.

— The colour range has been extended from ‘straw yellow’ to ‘straw yellow to golden yellow’, as higher concentrations of extracts and possible refining or ageing in wooden barrels may result in wines with more varied shades of colour.

— The descriptions of the ‘Roero’ Rosso and ‘Roero’ Bianco types (Category (1) Wine) have been expanded, with more specific references to their aroma when released for sale.

Article 6 of the product specification and point 4 (Description of the wines) of the single document have been amended.

2.7. Labelling rules

Provision is made for including on the label the names of additional geographical units referring to municipalities, parts of municipalities or localities defined in the land register, in accordance with current legislation.

After careful work selecting the areas concerned, the intention was to better identify the origin of the wine and thus strengthen its link with the area by using smaller geographical units defined in the land register and located within the demarcated production area.

Article 7 of the product specification and point 9 (Further conditions) of the single document have been amended.

2.8. Packaging

(a) For the packaging of ‘Roero’ DOCG wines, instead of specifying the excluded capacities, all the permitted capacities are listed.

The permitted capacities are listed for the sake of clarity.

Article 8 of the product specification has been amended.

(b) For the packaging of ‘Roero’ DOCG wines, all the closure systems provided for by existing national and EU legislation are deemed suitable, except for crown caps and screw caps made entirely of plastic.

Producers are free to use any of the closure systems provided for under current national and EU legislation except for crown caps and screw caps made entirely of plastic, as these are considered to be less appropriate for the image of a product bearing the traditional DOCG label.

Article 8 of the product specification has been amended.

2.9. Categories of grapevine product

Category (4) Sparkling wine has been replaced by category (5) Quality sparkling wine.

The amendment is linked to the actual production situation in the area, reflecting the true quality level of this production. ‘Roero’ DOCG sparkling wines are already being produced in line with the specific requirements and characteristics of wines in the ‘Quality sparkling wine’ category, such as with respect to the grapes’ natural alcoholic strength, the method of production and excess pressure, in accordance with the requirements laid down by current legislation for this category of products.

Articles 3 (Categories of grapevine product), 4 (Description of the wines) and 8 (Link with the environment) of the single document and Articles 1-6 and 9 of the product specification have been amended.

2.10. Link with the environment

The causal link between the geographical area and product quality or characteristics has been supplemented and improved, with reference to the wines produced and the influence of human factors.

Article 9 of the product specification and point 8 of the single document have been amended.

2.11. Editorial amendments

In Article 5 of the specification a number of merely typographical errors have been corrected concerning the start of the ageing period of the wines. The wording: ‘Roero Riserva (white) with an additional geographical reference: 16 months from 1 November of the year in which the grapes were harvested’ has been corrected as follows:

‘Roero Riserva (white), also with an additional geographical reference: 16 months from 1 November of the year in which the grapes were harvested’.

Regarding the time at which the wines are released for sale, in the wording: ‘Roero (white), also with an additional geographical reference: from 1 March of the first year following the grape harvest’, the word ‘also’ has been deleted, as this condition only applies to Roero (white) with an additional geographical reference.

In Article 6 of the specification, the following paragraph has been deleted as it is no longer in line with current legislation: ‘4. It is at the discretion of the Ministry of Agricultural Policy – National Committee for the Protection and Use of Designations of Origin and Typical Geographical Indications – to amend, by Decree, the minimum limits referred to above and the sugar-free extract.’

The words ‘minimum total natural alcoholic strength by volume’ have been replaced by the correct wording ‘minimum total alcoholic strength by volume’.

In Article 7 (Description and presentation) of the product specification, a reference to the national provisions on the use of the term Vigna have been added.

An error has been corrected in Annex 2 to the specification concerning the list of additional geographical units, where the municipality of Guarene was misspelt as ‘Guarente’.

In the single document, references to external documents as annexes to the specification have been deleted.

Some of the contact details under ‘Other information’ in the single document have been updated.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name of product

Roero

2. Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine products

1. Wine

5. Quality sparkling wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

‘Roero’, also of the Riserva type – Wine category (1)

The (red) ‘Roero’ type is obtained from the vinification of Nebbiolo grapes.

Colour: ruby red or garnet;

Smell: distinctive, fruity, sometimes with hints of red fruit such as cherry, sour cherry, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants or with spicy notes, possibly with hints of wood;

Taste: dry, full-bodied, harmonious and possibly tannic;

Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume: 12,50 %

Minimum sugar-free extract: 22,00 g/l.

Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 12,5 Minimum total acidity 4,5 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

‘Roero’ / ‘Roero’ Arneis, also of the Riserva and Vigna types – Wine category (1)

The ‘Roero’ Bianco (white) type, also Riserva and/or Vigna, is produced from the vinification of Arneis grapes, a local white grape variety.

Colour: from pale straw yellow to golden yellow;

Smell: delicate, distinctive, sometimes with a subtle and elegant aroma reminiscent of white flowers, and hints of fresh fruit ranging from apple to peach and hazelnuts, possibly with hints of wood;

Taste: dry, elegant, harmonious;

Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume: 12,00 %

Minimum sugar-free extract: 15,50 g/l.

Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 12,0 Minimum total acidity 4,5 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

‘Roero’ / ‘Roero’ Arneis Spumante – Quality sparkling wine category (5)

The ‘Roero’Spumante (sparkling) type is produced from the vinification of the Arneis local white grape variety.

Foam: fine and persistent;

Colour: straw yellow of varying intensity;

Smell: delicate, fresh, with possible hints reminiscent of yeast, bread crust and vanilla;

Taste: from brut nature to sweet; elegant, harmonious;

Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume: 11,50 %

Minimum sugar-free extract: 15,00 g/l.

Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 10,5 Minimum total acidity 5,0 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

5. Wine making practices

a. Essential oenological practices

-

b. Maximum yields

‘Roero’

56 hectolitres per hectare

‘Roero’ Arneis, also Spumante

70 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

‘Roero’ wine is made in 19 municipalities on the left bank of the Tanaro river, in the eponymously named Roero area, in the province of Cuneo.

The grape production area includes all Roero land suitable for guaranteeing the wine characteristics described in this specification.

This area of Cuneo province includes the entire administrative territory of the municipalities of Canale, Corneliano d’Alba, Piobesi d’Alba and Vezza d’Alba, as well as part of the municipalities of Baldissero d’Alba, Castagnito, Castellinaldo, Govone, Guarene, Magliano Alfieri, Montà, Montaldo Roero, Monteu Roero, Monticello d’Alba, Pocapaglia, Priocca, S. Vittoria d’Alba, S. Stefano Roero and Sommariva Perno.

The boundaries of this area are defined as follows: Starting from the intersection of the boundaries between the provinces of Asti and Cuneo and the municipalities of Priocca and Canale, the demarcation line runs north along the provincial boundary between Cuneo and Asti up to the junction of Gianoglio (altitude 350) in Montà d’Alba. Then it joins the provincial road leading to Sterlotti dairy farm and follows the San Vito road to its junction with the Colle di Cadibona road (State Highway No 29).

The demarcation line coincides with the State Highway up to the bridge over the Rollandi river, then follows the stream to its confluence with the Prasanino river and goes up the Prasanino to altitude 303 m, then to altitude 310 m. It follows the provincial highway towards Madonna delle Grazie to altitudes 315, 316 and 335 m, Perona dairy farm, then follows the cart road along the Campetto river to the intersection with the Valle San Lorenzo-Santo Stefano provincial highway at altitude 313 m.

It goes up the road towards Santo Stefano Roero until the cart road to the Beggioni dairy farm, which it passes, following the road to Molli dairy farm (altitude 376 m) as far as the Prella river. It descends that river to the cart road, which it goes back up to Furinetti dairy farm and Audano (altitude 381 m) down to altitude 336 m. After the Roero provincial highway it continues along the Serramiana valley to altitude 360 m. It joins the road to Canemorto valley (altitude 362 m) which it follows to Baldissero (altitude 410 m).

West of Baldissero, the demarcation line runs via altitudes 402-394 m along the ridge to the Baldissero-Sommariva Perno municipal boundary at altitude 417 m, which it follows down to altitude 402 m.

From 402 m it crosses Villa di Sommariva, through Bocche dei Garbine and Bocche della Merla to altitude 429 m, on the Pocapaglia-Sommariva Perno municipal boundary, which it crosses.

Then it heads straight to altitudes 422 and 408 m and on through Bocche della Ghia to San Sebastiano (altitude 391 m).

From there it follows the Pocapaglia municipal road, turns left and, descending along the Meinina river, meets and follows the Gera river as far as the Alba-Bra railway line, following the line eastwards to the Monticello d’Alba-Alba municipal boundary, near Piana Biglini. From there it runs north along the Monticello d’Alba-Alba, Corneliano d’Alba-Alba, Piobesi d’Alba-Alba, Piobesi d’Alba-Guarene and Corneliano d’Alba-Guarene municipal boundaries until it reaches Provincial Highway SP 10. It continues along this highway up to its junction with Regional Highway SR 29, which it follows northwards as far as the Corneliano d’Alba-Guarene municipal boundary, which it follows until it joins Provincial Highway SP 171. From there the demarcation line follows the highway as far as Guarene, crossing the ring road and meeting the San Stefano municipal road at altitude 288 m. It then follows the Maso local road and the Morrone local road to Cà del Rio (165 m) as far as the provincial highway to Castagnito, going down that highway until it meets the San Carlo della Serra municipal road. Passing the 214 m altitude mark, the line follows the San Pietro municipal road until it reaches Moisa hamlet. It follows the Moisa municipal road, meeting the Santa Maria road near the church of the same name, at altitude 196 m. It then follows the municipal cemetery road until it meets the Leschea municipal road, going past the 200 m and 193 m altitude marks as far as the 244 m mark where it meets the Castellinaldo-Priocca-Magliano provincial highway, which it follows past the 269 m altitude mark near the San Michele farm as far as is junction with the Magliano Alfieri-Priocca provincial highway. From there it runs north-eastwards along the Priocca provincial highway through San Bernardo and San Vittore as far as the 213 m mark, where it meets Provincial Highway 2 (formerly 231). It then follows the highway north-eastwards until the crossroads with the Priocca-Govone provincial highway, which passes through the hamlets of San Pietro and Via Piana as far as the Govone cemetery. From there it runs north-west for a short distance along the Craviano municipal road near the 253 altitude mark before following the Bricco Genepreto municipal road, passing near San Rocco and the Monte Bertolo farm, before meeting the Cuneo-Asti municipal boundary. It continues west along this boundary up to the junction with the municipal boundaries of Priocca and Canale.

7. Main wine grapes variety(ies)

Arneis B.

Nebbiolo N.

8. Description of the link(s)

8.1. ‘Roero’ PDO - Information on the geographical area

The Roero winegrowing area extends along the left bank of the Tanaro river, across 19 municipalities where two vine varieties are mainly grown: Nebbiolo and Arneis. The Roero is characterised by a rock formation linked to a geological phenomenon known as ‘Tanaro capture’, meaning a change in the river’s course provoked by a movement of the earth’s crust. This particular development led to the formation of alternating layers of sand, clay and limestone which may be mixed in different ways depending on the area. The soil in this area is therefore the result of the breakup and remixing of overlapping layers from different sources, deposited in times long past, on the crystalline bed of an ancient internal sea later referred to as the Po Gulf. The vineyards are hilly, exclusively with south-facing slopes in the case of red wines. For the white wines exposure to the north is also allowed.

8.2. Details of the quality or characteristics of the product essentially or exclusively attributable to the geographical environment

The soil combination is decisive for wines coming from this area; a greater presence of sand results in fresh, elegant wines with subtle aromas, while the influence of clay affects the wines’ colour and that of limestone their fine aromas.

The red wines, in Category (1) Wine, are made from grapes of the Nebbiolo variety, which is grown mainly on south-facing slopes and is well adapted to the leaner and sandier soils of the steepest slopes. The terroir plays a key role as it determines, from the outset, the growth and maturity of the grapes as they develop from a fresh and delicate base, ultimately giving the wines a lively ruby red colour, with hints of garnet as they age. On the nose they have aromas of red fruit such as cherries, sour cherries, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants, sometimes accompanied by velvety tannins or spicy notes, in particular for Riserva or otherwise aged wines.

White ‘Roero’ wines, in the Wine (1) and Quality sparkling wine (5) categories, are made from white grapes of the Arneis variety grown both on south-facing slopes and in cooler areas facing north. Arneis grapes benefit from Roero’s dry sandstone soils, which are loose and permeable with sandy layers broken down by marl, resulting in wines with subtle and elegant aromas reminiscent of white flowers or fresh fruit such as apples and peaches or of hazelnuts. Thanks to the characteristics of the Arneis grape variety, which thrives on this land, the sparkling wines are delicate, fruity and fresh, with good acidity due to the differences in day and night temperatures and the north-facing orientation of some vineyards.

8.3. Causal interaction between elements of the geographical area referred to in sections 8.1 and 8.2 and human factors

The vine varieties traditionally found in the area, Arneis and Nebbiolo, are anchored in the culture of Roero winegrowers. In historical and cultural terms, the origin of the name Arneis, a vine variety grown on the hills of the Roero since the 15th century, seems to come from the local producers’ custom at the time of associating the character of this white wine with the dialect term for an unruly, unreliable and short-tempered person. However, other sources attribute it to the dialect word ‘renexij’, used in the 15th century to mean the Arneis variety, itself taken from the name Renesio, a vineyard situated in the hills overlooking the town of Canale.

The Roero area is characterised by very steep slopes, requiring great attention and hard work. An important factor was therefore the determination of the winegrowers who, through the great efforts demanded by this land, acquired the necessary knowledge and expertise to manage, in the possible way, all operations carried out in the vineyard until the grapes are harvested.

In addition, producers have over time increasingly refined their wine-growing techniques, using the most suitable land zoning studies in terms of orientation and composition to guarantee the quality of the wines produced, excluding land in the valley floor, which is too flat, too wet and not sufficiently sunny. Another important factor is the long-standing expertise of producers in the ageing of wines, including in wooden casks, particularly for the Riserva wines. This makes it possible to produce elegant red wines, with velvety tannins and hints of spices and a colour tending towards garnet, while the whites retain fresh and fruity notes and a colour ranging from straw yellow to golden yellow. Sparkling ‘Roero’ DOCG wines, produced in accordance with the requirements laid down in current legislation for the Quality sparkling wine category (5), have aromas with hints of yeast, bread crust and vanilla and are produced in versions ranging from brut nature to sweet, reflecting their versatility.

9. Essential further conditions

Additional geographical units

Legal framework:

EU legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The labelling of ‘Roero’ PDO wines may specify the name of smaller ‘additional geographical units’ within the production area that refer to specifically demarcated municipalities, parts of municipalities or localities included in the relevant list.

Requirements concerning labelling

Legal framework:

EU legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

For ‘Roero’ PDO wines made from Arneis grapes, specifying the grape variety on the labelling is optional.

Link to the product specification

https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/16977

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.