Publication of the single document amended following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

(2018/C 466/14)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment application in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

The application for approval of this minor amendment is made public in the DOOR Commission database

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘SIDRA DE ASTURIAS’/‘SIDRA D'ASTURIES’

EU No PDO-ES-0260-AM01 — 31.10.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Sidra de Asturias’/‘Sidra d'Asturies’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

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

The products to be protected by the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Sidra de Asturias’ are:

— Sidra (‘cider’): The beverage obtained from the partial or full alcoholic fermentation of fresh apples or apple juice. Its minimum actual alcoholic strength must be 5 % by volume. Cider with a sugar content of less than 30 g/l is ‘dry’ cider; between 30 and 50 g/l the cider is ‘semi-dry’; and ‘sweet cider’ contains over 50 g/l (up to a maximum of 80 g/l). The organoleptic properties of ‘cider’ are: a straightforward taste which may be dry, semi-dry or sweet; lasting bubbles and light foam of naturally occurring carbon dioxide; and a clean and balanced aroma with hints of raw or stewed apples. It is translucent and sparkling in appearance, and varying shades of yellow in colour.

— Sidra natural (‘traditional cider’): The naturally carbonated beverage obtained from the partial or full alcoholic fermentation of fresh apples or apple juice, with no added sugar, produced using traditional methods. Its minimum actual alcoholic strength must be 5 % by volume. ‘Traditional cider’ is characterised by a straightforward taste, striking a balance between sharp and bitter and with a mild sensation of natural fizz. Its aroma is clean and fresh, with varietal or fruity notes and a slight tartness. It is translucent and sparkling in appearance, and it can be any one of various shades of yellow or the colour of straw.

Permitted practices

1. Juices

a) The extraction of juices by pressing cider apples of an authorised variety or a blend of authorised varieties;

b) The use of refrigeration and inert gas to preserve the pure apple juices;

c) Filtration and clarification using authorised substances and pectic enzymes;

d) Correction of juices using authorised substances;

e) Concentration of juices obtained by pressing the varieties authorised for sweetening.

2. Sidra (‘cider’)

a) Blending of protected ciders;

b) Cidermaking practices: racking, clarification, filtration;

c) The use of refrigeration;

d) Correction using authorised substances;

e) The use of inert gases (nitrogen) to preserve ciders;

f) Fermentation with selected yeasts;

g) The addition of carbon dioxide gas before bottling, using only gas that is released naturally during the fermentation of the juices;

h) The addition of up to 80 g of sugar (in the form of sugar syrup, natural juice or concentrated apple juice) per litre for sweetening purposes, up to a maximum proportion of one part sweetening substance to ten parts unsweetened cider.

3. Sidra natural (‘traditional cider’)

a) Traditional cidermaking practices;

b) racking, clarification, filtration;

c) The use of refrigeration;

d) Correction using authorised substances;

e) The use of inert gases (nitrogen) to preserve ciders;

f) Fermentation with selected yeasts;

Banned practices

1. Juices

a) Any process that alters the natural sugar content of the pure apple juices;

b) Mixing pure juice with concentrate in any proportion;

c) Artificial flavouring of juices;

d) Pasteurisation.

2. Sidra (‘cider’)

a) Artificially increasing the natural alcohol content;

b) Correction and/or addition of unauthorised products;

c) The addition of water at any stage of production;

d) The addition of wine, fruit ferments and/or alcohol from any source;

e) The use of artificial sweeteners and dextrins;

f) The use of colourings other than caramel;

g) The use of esters, flavourings and similar substances of any type or origin;

h) Pasteurisation;

i) The addition of any carbon dioxide other than that naturally released in the cidermaking process.

3. Sidra natural (‘traditional cider’)

a) All practices listed under point 2;

b) The addition of carbon dioxide of any origin;

c) The use of sugar of any type or origin.

Sidra natural (‘traditional cider’) has the following physical and chemical properties:

Volatile acidity: < 2,0 g/l of acetic acid Alcoholic strength: > 5 % (v/v). Total sulphur dioxide: < 150 mg/l. In-bottle pressure (at 20 °C): > 0,5 atm.

Sidra (‘cider’) has the following physical and chemical properties:

Volatile acidity: < 2,0 g/l of acetic acid Alcoholic strength: > 5 % (v/v). Total sulphur dioxide: < 200 mg/l. In-bottle carbon dioxide pressure (at 20 °C): > 3 atm.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Both sidra (‘cider’) and sidra natural (‘traditional cider’) are made from cider apple varieties traditionally grown in the production area.

On the basis of their sharpness and concentration of phenolic compounds, the authorised varieties are classified into nine technological categories: sweet, bittersweet, bitter, semisharp, bitter-semisharp, semisharp-bitter, sharp, bittersharp and sharpbitter.

Technological classification

Sharp:

Blanquina, Limón Montés, Teórica, San Roqueña, Raxao, Fuentes, Xuanina, Regona, Prieta, Collaos, Josefa, Carrandona, Raxila Ácida, Collaina, Raxina Marelo, Perurico Precoz, Perurico, Raxona Ácida, Raxina Ácida, Arbeya, Reineta Caravia, Durón Encarnado, Fresnosa, Peñarudes, Perracabiella, Reineta Encarnada, Repinaldo de Hueso, San Justo and Sucu

Bittersharp:

Beldredo, Picón, Madiedo, Martina and Montoto

Bitter:

Clara, Amariega and Cladurina

Sharpbitter:

Meana, Lin, Cladurina Amargoácida and Rosadona

Semisharp-bitter:

Durcolorá and Colorá Amarga

Semisharp:

Solarina, De la Riega, Carrió, Perico, Perezosa, Durona de Tresali, Panquerina, Raxila Rayada, Antonona, Chata Encarnada, Durón d'Arroes, Maria Elena, Mariñana, Miyeres, Repinaldo Caravia, Reineta Pinta and Celso

Bitter-semisharp:

Montes de Llamera and Corchu

Sweet:

Ernestina, Verdialona, Raxila Dulce, Raxina Dulce, Raxona Dulce, Chata Blanca, Cristalina, Dura, Montés de Flor, Paraguas and Verdosa

Bittersweet:

Coloradona, Raxina Amarga and Raxarega.

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

The products protected by the PDO ‘Sidra de Asturias’/‘Sidra d'Asturies’ (sidra or ‘cider’ and sidra natural or ‘traditional cider’) are made from cider apples of the varieties authorised under the PDO rules that have been grown on parcels of land registered with the Regulatory Board. The products must be made at ciderhouses located in the production area that are also registered with the Regulatory Board and have passed a number of tests examining their manufacturing and processing methods. These tests, which check the varieties used, growing techniques, raw materials, pressing, cidermaking processes, bottling and labelling, are to be conducted in accordance with the Regulatory Board's documented quality system procedure.

When making sidra (‘cider’), particular care must be taken to ensure that when carbon dioxide is added, it is only the carbon dioxide released naturally in the fermentation process (and then collected, purified, compressed, filtered and stored) and that it is added before bottling. This entire process is to be monitored following the instructions laid down in the Regulatory Board's quality manual, which must include, as a minimum, the analysis technique to be used to detect carbon dioxide by identifying the stable light isotopes and the C13/C12 ratio, which allow the origin of the added gas to be verified.

The certification process must include visual inspections, paperwork checks and product sampling. Certified ciders may be labelled with the Regulatory Board's logo and the words Denominación de Origen Protegida ‘Sidra de Asturias’. The bottle will also be labelled with a serial number provided by the Board.

The cidermaking process consists of the following stages: washing and crushing the apples; pressing them to extract the pure apple juice; fermentation; racking; clarification; filtration using permitted products and materials; and finally bottling.

Sidra (‘cider’) may be carbonated using carbon dioxide released naturally during the cidermaking process, in accordance with the conditions laid down in this document, the product specification and the quality manual.

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

The reason for including bottling within the designated area as part of the PDO ‘Sidra de Asturias’ cider-making process is to protect the reputation of the product by ensuring both the authenticity of the product and its quality and characteristics. Beneficiaries of this scheme assume full and collective responsibility for ensuring these aspects through the Regulatory Board set up for this purpose.

This ensures that the products obtained can be subject to inspection and traceability measures, preventing any possibility of them being mixed with products from elsewhere. This is because the inspections carried out in the production area (under the responsibility of the PDO beneficiaries) are thorough and systematic, underpinned by a comprehensive knowledge of the product characteristics.

Moreover, since ‘cider’ can only be carbonated using the carbon dioxide that occurs naturally during the production process, suitable equipment needs to be in place alongside the bottling machinery. It would be inconvenient, and greatly complicate the inspection process, if the cider were to be transported to other bottling plants, which risks ‘adulterating’ the process.

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

To avoid misleading consumers, cider labels must comply with the Ministerial Order of 1 August 1979 regulating ciders and other beverages made from apples. Article 17 of this Order requires, among other things, that the bottle state whether the product is sidra (‘cider’) or sidra natural (‘traditional cider’).

As well as any information required under the applicable legislation, the PDO name (‘Sidra de Asturias’) must appear prominently on the front and back labels of bottled ciders.

The consumer can clearly distinguish between the different product types by their presentation, as different types of bottle stopper are used. The pressure in a bottle of sidra (‘cider’) is more than three atmospheres, clearly requiring a different kind of stopper. The types of glass bottle used for the two products are also different.

In any case, all protected ciders that meet the conditions laid down in the rules on using the name must be labelled with the words PDO ‘Sidra de Asturias’. Furthermore, under the general rules on the labelling and presentation of food products, the labels must also state whether the product is sidra (‘cider’) or sidra natural (‘traditional cider’).

All bottles containing cider protected by this PDO must be dispatched with a numbered control label issued by the Regulatory Board.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias is the apple-growing and cidermaking area for products with the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Sidra de Asturias’. Asturias is a geographical and historical region of northern Spain comprising 78 municipalities: Allande, Aller, Amieva, Avilés, Belmonte de Miranda, Bimenes, Boal, Cabrales, Cabranes, Candamo, Cangas de Narcea, Cangas de Onís, Caravia, Carreño, Caso, Castrillón, Castropol, Coaña, Colunga, Corvera, Cudillero, Degaña, El Franco, Gijón, Gozón, Grado, Grandas de Salime, Ibias, Illano, Illas, Langreo, Las Regueras, Laviana, Lena, Llanera, Llanes, Mieres, Morcín, Muros de Nalón, Nava, Navia, Noreña, Onís, Oviedo, Parres, Peñamellera Alta, Peñamellera Baja, Pesoz, Piloña, Ponga, Pravia, Proaza, Quirós, Ribadedeva, Ribadesella, Ribera de Arriba, Riosa, Salas, San Martín de Oscos, San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Santirso de Abres, Santa Eulalia de Oscos, Santo Adriano, Sariego, Siero, Sobrescobio, Somiedo, Soto del Barco, Tapia de Casariego, Taramundi, Teverga, Tineo, Valdés, Vegadeo, Villanueva de Oscos, Villaviciosa, Villayón, Yernes and Tameza.

Although the defined geographical area has a total area of 10 560 km2, Asturias is one of Europe's most mountainous regions. This means that the farmland available for growing apples is severely limited, with cultivation restricted to small valleys and hillsides throughout the defined area (i.e. the 78 municipalities listed above).

Due to the terrain and growing conditions in Asturias, farms are, to a greater or lesser extent, scattered throughout the different municipalities, meaning that that rural population centres are small and dispersed, as are the plots of land.

Cider apples were traditionally grown in Asturias following an extensive and mixed (cider apple-grassland pasture) farming model. Because farms in Asturias tend to be very small, this combination of livestock farming and growing apples for cider-making had a considerable social and economic impact on Asturian countryside life: apple-growing generated extra income on family farms, providing an environmentally sustainable activity that retains population, thus helping, to some extent, to hold back the rural exodus.

Just in the same way as cider apple orchards are spread out over the territory, ciderhouses were traditionally small-scale facilities on farms that made cider to be drunk by the farming family. This practice has gradually been abandoned, and modern ciderhouses are concentrated in locations that are close to infrastructure and have more suitable services for industrial activity.

5. Link with the geographical area

Historical:

Asturias is Spain's leading cider-producing region, accounting for 80 % of national production. As can be seen from writings by the geographer Strabo dating back to 60 BC, the practices of growing cider apples and making cider are deeply ingrained in the region's history.

Natural:

Over the centuries, using trees grown from seeds (without the use of grafts), Asturian farmers have gradually selected the most productive varieties that are best suited to the local environment and that yield the best cider apples. The varieties' different properties (sweet, bittersweet, bitter, semisharp, bitter-semisharp, semisharp-bitter, sharp, bittersharp and sharpbitter) and the resulting blends of these categories give Asturian ciders their unique semi-sharpness.

The fact that the designation covers two product types (sidra natural or ‘traditional cider’ and sidra or ‘cider’) reflects Spanish quality rules (Ministerial Order of 1 September 1979), which differentiate between these two products on the basis that carbon dioxide not naturally produced during the cidermaking process — i.e. from any source — can be added to the ‘cider’ product category.

Of the two types of cider covered by the designation of origin, sidra natural or ‘traditional cider’ is the basic product, while sidra (‘cider’) is made by adding the carbon dioxide recovered during the fermentation process (i.e. naturally occurring gas only) and a small amount of sugar syrup to ‘traditional cider’. The raw material, production technology and industrial facilities are virtually the same, although ‘traditional cider’ dates back much further historically. ‘Cider’ with added carbon dioxide only appeared more recently as a result of research and developments in technology achieved in the nineteenth century.

In Spain, the name ‘Asturias’ has historically been linked to cidermaking and cider drinking, and the region now accounts for the bulk of domestic production.

Human factor:

Cider is the Asturian food and agriculture sector's third most important product in terms of turnover. Sidra natural or ‘traditional cider’ is produced at traditional ciderhouses, and there are now 106 commercial-scale ciderhouses in Asturias. Family tradition is particularly strong, with over 60 % of these ciderhouses having been inherited by their owners. The majority are run as sole traderships, with corporations and limited liability companies accounting for only around 10 % of ciderhouses. The Asturian market represents 93 % of total ‘traditional cider’ sales. Ten companies dominate cider production, together accounting for 61 % of the industry's total turnover. Around 80 % of production is for the domestic market, while some 13-14 % is exported and the remaining 7 % is consumed within the region of Asturias itself.

Reference to publication of the product specification

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

https://www.asturias.es/Asturias/descargas/PDF_TEMAS/Agricultura/Alimentaci%C3%B3n/sidra_de_asturias_modificado.pdf

(1) OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.