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
Date: 2008-07-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, designation of origin, fresh fruit, labelling, location of production, mode of production, product designation

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V

(Announcements)

OTHER ACTS

COMMISSION

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

(2008/C 190/06)

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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CASTAGNA DI VALLERANO’

EC No: IT/PDO/005/0474/03.03.2005

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:

Ministero delle Politiche agricole alimentari e forestali

Address: Via XX Settembre, 20 — I-00187 Roma

Tel.

Fax:

(39) 06 481 99 68

(39) 06 42 01 31 26

E-mail:

qpa3@politicheagricole.gov.it

2. Group:

Name:

Address:

Tel./Fax

E-mail:

Associazione Castanicoltori Vallecimina

Via Torrione, 5 — I-01030 Vallerano (VT)

(39) 0761 75 19 49

vallecimina@libero.it

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.

Type of product:

Class 1.6 — Fruit, vegetables, cereals, whether or not processed

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

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4.

Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1. Name:

‘Castagna di Vallerano’

4.2. Description: The protected designation of origin ‘Castagna di Vallerano’ is reserved for nuts of the local
‘Castanea sativa Miller’ grown in the area referred to in point 4.3 and with the following characteristics:

— local ‘Castanea sativa Miller’ ecotype,

— large size (50-70 achenes/kg of fresh product),

— medium size (71-95 achenes/kg of fresh product),

— small size (96-120 achenes/kg of fresh product),

— mainly ellipsoidal but sometimes round in shape, with a pointed apex, terminating with remnants
of styles (torcia); quadrangular, generally flat hilum scar that does not extend to the sides of the
fruit,

— thin, easy-to-peel, reddish-brown pericarp, with between 25 and 30 raised, darker-coloured vertical

striations,

— suede-coloured episperm, which does not generally penetrate into the main grooves of the seed,

— low percentage of septate fruit,

— he seed has virtually no surface grooves and has a white, crunchy flesh with a pleasant, sweet taste,

which remains firm after cooking.

Analysis: edible part: 84-88 %; peel: 12-16 %. Composition per 100 g of edible part: water: 51-60 %,
proteins: 2,5-3,2 %, lipids: 1,40-1,60 %, total carbohydrates: 38-44 %, potassium: 400-440 mg.

4.3. Geographical area: The production area of ‘Castagna di Vallerano’ is represented only by the territory of

the Municipality of Vallerano, in the province of Viterbo.

4.4. Proof of origin: Chestnut groves for nut production are entered in registers held and updated by the
inspection body, thus providing an effective system to ensure traceability throughout the production
process.

Applications to amend registrations must be submitted before 30 April each year.

4.5. Method of production: According to the product specification, the planting distances and the growing
and pruning methods, both periodic and multiannual, will follow traditional practices in the area,
although a density of between 50 and 100 plants per hectare must be guaranteed. Irrigation is
allowed.

Harvesting will be carried out between 20 September and 10 November each year, either manually or
with towed harvesting suction machines and self-propelled harvesting machines which do not damage
the product.

The yield varies between 2 tonnes/ha and 6 tonnes/ha.

Preservation of the product is by cold bath treatment with no additives or by sterilisation through hot
bath treatment followed by cold bath, again with no additives.

Cleaned chestnuts, still damp, are put in piles and after a short period spread on the ground and
selected to eliminate moulded fruits. To have the chestnuts dry quickly, the fruits are often moved
either manually or by means of wooden shovels during the first days or, as an alternative, they are
placed in special containers from which they can be removed on a daily basis.

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After being rinsed, chestnuts fall into a cooling cistern where they remain for about 15-30 minutes
while being automatically skimmed to eliminate flawed fruits coming the surface and separated from
the rest by an appropriate device.

Draining and drying are followed by the brushing, grading and sizing phase.

All production, grading, sizing, processing and preservation operations must be carried out in the
production area. Packaging may also be carried out outside the production area indicated in point 4.3.

4.6. Link: The production area, covering the whole of the Municipality of Vallerano, is particularly suited to
chestnut growing because of the characteristics of the soil, with deep, cool, well-drained substrata of
volcanic tufa rich in organic substances, which makes it highly fertile; it is conducive to the presence
of potassium in the nuts, as well as lipids and carbohydrates. The area's climate is also especially suited
to chestnut production.

The area has a particularly consistent, continental climate, with hot summers and harsh, wet winters.
The annual temperature range is fairly wide, while rainfall, although well distributed throughout the
year, is limited.

Chestnut groves situated in areas of volcanic origin, at 400-500 m above sea level, produce
high-quality chestnuts. Pedoclimatic factors and parallel human actions (grafting and, in general, culti-
vation techniques suited to the species) have over the centuries exercised a high selection pressure on
‘Castanea sativa Miller’ in the area of Vallerano, resulting in the selection of local ecotypes that are
adapted to the pedoclimatic parameters of the area and are now well established. These exhibit the par-
ticular and valuable characteristics that go to make the typical product known as ‘Castagna di
Vallerano’.

These particular environmental and climatic factors, together with the age-old, traditional practices of
the local population have contributed, thanks to agricultural skills, constant research and traditional
specialised techniques, with a particular emphasis on constant improvement, to creating a real chestnut
culture, with all that that implies in economic, agricultural and gastronomic terms, as evidenced in
agricultural and scientific literature.

The link between Vallerano and chestnuts is confirmed by the caves dug out of the tufa, with their
cisterns and storage tanks for cold curing chestnuts (cellars), which are still used for preserving the
product. Chestnut groves for fruit production have always existed in the area of Vallerano.

The trees have been there since time immemorial and certainly predate other crops, including tree
crops, and a large part of the land on which chestnuts are grown has never been used for any other
crop.

This has shaped certain characteristics of the trades carried out by the inhabitants of Vallerano and
influenced the overall development of this particular social environment linked to chestnut production.

This influence can also be seen in the local architecture, with the constructions known locally as
‘radicci’ to be found in chestnut woods and the series of caves dug out of the base of the tufa crag on
which this ancient town is built, equipped with ‘cisterns’ and ‘storage tanks’.

The caves in the tufa were used to cure and preserve chestnuts while the ‘radicci’ were for drying them.
These constructions show that chestnuts are a well-rooted and continuous part of life in the area.

In ‘Vallerano e le Confraternite’, published in 1996, Mon. Manfredo Manfredi states that the main
source of income of the local confraternities was the sale of chestnuts.

In the Italian magazine Rivista Geografica Italiana, issue No 87 (1980), it is stated that chestnuts were
already being grown in 1500. In 1584, Prince Farnese authorised the export of chestnuts only to
neighbouring states that could pay in cereals.

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The minutes of the International Convention held in Spoleto in 1993 describe Vallerano as the most
important centre in the Province of Viterbo for both the production and the marketing of chestnuts.

An environment suited to the production of a quality product has made Vallerano one of Italy's main
centres for the production and marketing of chestnuts.

4.7.

Inspection body:

Name:

Camera di commercio industria artigianato e agricoltura di Viterbo

Address: Via F.lli Rosselli, 4 — I-01100 Viterbo

Tel.

Fax

(39) 0761 2341

(39) 0761 345755

E-mail:

camera.commercio.viterbo@vt.legalmail.camcom.it

4.8. Labelling: The product is released for consumption in bags of a suitable material weighing 1, 3, 5, 10,

20 and 30 kg.

The bags must be sealed in such a way as to prevent the contents being removed without breaking the
seal.

The seal comprises an irremovable label bearing the following wording:

(a) ‘Castagna di Vallerano’ below the acronym ‘D.O.P.’;

(b) other information in characters 50 % of the size of those used for ‘Castagna di Vallerano’;

(c) name or company name of the grower and the name and head office of the packaging undertaking

(whether this is the grower or a third party);

(d) the quantity of product originally contained in the bag, expressed in accordance with the relevant

marketing standards.

It is forbidden to use with the ‘Castagna di Vallerano’ protected designation of origin any other descrip-
tion or wording, including adjectives such as ‘extra’, ‘fine’, ‘selezionata’ (selected), ‘superiore’ (superior)
and similar descriptions.

The designation's logo is oval and shows Vallerano in profile in dark brown, white and blue in a
chestnut, above which is shown the ‘Monti Cimini’ in profile in medium-brown.

Typeface and size of characters:

D.O.P.: Bauer Bodoni bold (14)

‘Castagna di Vallerano’: Amaze bold (27)

Colours to be used:

Brown

Profile of Vallerano: C0 M56 Y60 K47

Brown

Profile of the ‘Monti Cimini’: C0 M28 Y30 K23,5

Blue: C100 M60 Y0 K20