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 2023/C 49/16
Date: 2023-02-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Basque Country, Spain, cider, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_2023049EN.01006701.xml










9.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 49/67






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
(2023/C 49/16)
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) within three months from the date of this publication.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’


EU No: PDO-ES-2309 – 11.5.2017


PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name

‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’
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

‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’ is a beverage obtained from the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation of apple juice. No sugars or water are added in the process of making this beverage, which is unfiltered and only naturally carbonated.
Organoleptic characteristics:
The following specific attributes were detected by the Fraisoro Agri-environmental Laboratory (Gipuzkoa Provincial Council) and described in the report on the organoleptic differences between ‘Sidra Natural Vasca’ and other ciders:






—


The colour is defined by the apple varieties used to make the cider, ranging from straw yellow to old gold.










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It is cloudy in appearance with very small carbon dioxide bubbles, mixed with the liquid. As other ciders are filtered, they tend to be transparent. Filtration also removes many micro-organisms and a significant portion of the naturally-occurring CO2.










—


On the nose there are aromas of volatile matter that can be traced to the apple varieties used in the production process. When the apples are picked at the ideal point of ripeness, there are aromas of green fruits. If they are harvested after that point, there are sweet aromas of varying intensity, or aromas reminiscent of stewed apples. Depending on the type of fermentation, the ripeness or the yeasts used, there can also be other types of aromas, such as floral, fruity or spicy notes of varying degrees of intensity, specificity and complexity. One distinctive aspect is the presence of aromas and flavours due to the volatile acidity (acetic acid).










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The aromas of the volatile matter in the cider and a balance of sweet, acidic, savoury and bitter flavours are detected in the mouth.










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The balance between sweetness, acidity, bitterness and astringency (dryness) and the body of the cider are evaluated together.




Physical and chemical characteristics:
Volatile acidity (expressed as acetic acid): < 2,2 g/l; Alcoholic strength (v/v): > 5 %; Total sulphur dioxide: < 100 mg/l; Total dry extract: > 14 g/l Sum of glucose and fructose ≤ 0,2 g/l. This latter value is a specific feature of ‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’, as the majority of the glucose and fructose has been converted into alcohol.
3.3.   Raw materials

All of the apple varieties authorised for the production of ‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’ cider are obtained in the demarcated geographical area and are considered to be native varieties, i.e. local varieties that have adapted to the climatic and soil conditions of the geographical area. A number of studies have been carried out to establish the origin and characteristics of the cider apple varieties in the Basque Country, including genetic tests on the DNA of the varieties (Toki Pommes. Project by the Euroregion Euskadi-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Navarre and Universidad Pública de Navarra - UPNA), with clearly conclusive results.
Of the 106 native apple varieties, 76 (representing 85 % of the entire area under cultivation) were found to have unique DNA. Varieties marked with an asterisk (*) are in the process of being analysed.
All of these apple varieties are quite homogeneous and can be classified as being acidic, bitter and acidic-bitter with varying degrees of intensity. The fact that the apples are harvested at the right time and mixed in the desired proportions makes this cider specific and distinctive.
These are the 24 most abundant varieties.














1.


Azpeiti Sagarra












7.


Ibarra*












13.


Mokote












19.


Udare Marroi














2.


Bostkantoi












8.


Limoi












14.


Mozoloa












20.


Urdin














3.


Errezila*












9.


Manttoni












15.


Patzuloa












21.


Urtebete














4.


Gezamina












10.


Merabi












16.


Saltxipi












22.


Urtebi Haundi














5.


Goikoetxe












11.


Mikatza












17.


Txalaka












23.


Urtebi Txiki














6.


Haritza












12.


Moko












18.


Txori Sagarra












24.


Verde Agria








These are the remaining 82 varieties:














1.


Aia Sagarra












22.


Dominixe












43.


Moliua*












64.


Txistu














2.


Altza












23.


Enpan












44.


Musugorri*












65.


Txori Haundia*














3.


Ama Birjina












24.


Errege












45.


Muxu zabala












66.


Txori Sagarra














4.


Ami Sagarra*












25.


Geza Zuri












46.


Odixa












67.


Txotixe














5.


Añarregi












26.


Gaza Gorri












47.


Orkola*












68.


Txurten Luze














6.


Andoain












27.


Gazi Zuri












48.


Horri Zarratue












69.


Udare














7.


Añarre*












28.


Gazia












49.


Oru Sagarra*












70.


Udare Txuria














8.


Aranguren*












29.


Gaziloka












50.


Ostro Beltza












71.


Ugarte














9.


Arantzate












30.


Gezamina beltza*












51.


Palazio












72.


Urdan Iturri














10.


Areso*












31.


Goozti*












52.


Palancaya












73.


Urkola*














11.


Arimasagasti












32.


Gorri Txikia












53.


Patzulo Gorria












74.


Zubieta*














12.


Astarbe












33.


Greñas*












54.


Perran












75.


Zuri Txikixe














13.


Azpuru Garratza












34.


Illunbe*












55.


Piku Sagarra












76.


Pelestrina*














14.


Azpuru Sagarra












35.


Itxausti*












56.


Potrokilo












77.


Kanpandoja*














15.


Berandu Erreineta












36.


Manzana de Quesillo*












57.


Sagar Beltza












78.


Telleri














16.


Berrondo












37.


Martiku












58.


Sagar Gorria












79.


Bizi*














17.


Billafrankie












38.


Maximela












59.


Sagar Txuria*












80.


Zuzen*














18.


Bizkai Sagarra












39.


Mendiola*












60.


Saluetia*












81.


Legor*














19.


Burgo












40.


Merkalina












61.


Santa Ana












82.


San Francisco*














20.


Burdin












41.


Mila Sagarra












62.


Sulei*






 










21.


Buztin












42.


Mocetas*












63.


Txarbia






 




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







—


Production of apples of authorised native varieties.










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Harvesting and delivery to the cider-making facility.










—


Stages at the cider-making facility:






—


Washing the apples.










—


Extracting the juice: crushing and pressing.










—


Fermentation in tanks: the juices start to undergo alcoholic fermentation (sugars converted into ethanol and CO2) and malolactic fermentation (transformation of malic acid into lactic acid).










—


Maturation and finishing in tank.








3.5.   Specific rules concerning packaging

Bottling must take place in the area defined in section 4 in order to protect the product’s physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics. As the ciders are not filtered or stabilised and given that naturally-occurring carbon dioxide is one of the product’s features, it is advisable to minimise operations involving the transfer, transportation or movement of the cider prior to bottling. Such operations are detrimental to ensuring quality and have an adverse effect on the naturally-occurring carbon dioxide. For this reason, bottling has traditionally been carried out at the same facilities where the cider is made.
On the one hand, this ensures that the quality and characteristics of the product are maintained and, on the other, it enables better monitoring and traceability of the product.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The management body keeps an up-to-date register of the processing companies. This entity authorises all companies, without exception, that have declared themselves to be producers of ‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’ to use the numbered labels bearing the logo of the designation on products meeting the requirements set out in the specification. The logo of the designation is compulsory on all bottles.





4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area where the apples are produced and the cider is made comprises the following districts:






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Bizkaia: Districts of Uribe-Kosta-Mungialdea, Lea-Artibai, Busturialdea, Arratia-Amorebieta, Durangaldea, Encartaciones and Nerbioi-Ibaizabal.










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Gipuzkoa: Districts of Buruntzaldea, Oarsoaldea, Donostialdea, Goierri, Tolosaldea, Bajo Deba, Alto Deba, Urola-Kosta and Bidasoaldea.










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Álava/Araba: Western valleys of Álava, Llanada Alavesa, Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa and Montaña Alavesa.




The enclosed map shows the areas where apples used for ‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’ are grown.





5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specific nature of the geographical area

The Autonomous Community of the Basque Country is a mountainous territory with heavy rainfall (average precipitation 1 080 mm per year) and mild temperatures (average 12,5 °C).
The soils are clayey, with the average clay and silt content being higher than 65 %-70 %.
The climate and the characteristics of the soil have played a decisive role in how the various apple varieties have evolved. This is borne out by the fact that 76 apple varieties have unique DNA, as a result of the plant species adapting to the environment.
The scientific consensus is that the climate is the factor that has most influenced the distribution of the plants and various types of vegetation, as well as that which has the greatest impact on the constraints to their distribution. Similarly, the physical and chemical properties of the soils also determine how the plant species evolve and are distributed. This explains why specific apple varieties have been developed in the area where ‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’ is produced. Another influential factor is the genetic selection by the production sector over the centuries, as this has diversified the type of apple that is best suited to the environment and the end result desired by the cider producer, depending on the sweetness, acidity or bitterness of each variety.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco’ has been characterised based on its organoleptic properties, which are highly dependent on the properties of the raw material and the lack of filtration during the production process. The conclusion of the scientific article entitled ‘Characterization of Spanish ciders by means of chemical and olfactometric profiles and chemometrics’, on the characterisation of Spanish ciders, is that it is possible to clearly differentiate between ciders from Asturias and from the Basque Country on the basis of their volatile composition and olfactometric profiles.
The conclusion of the scientific article entitled ‘Chemometric classification of Basque and French ciders based on their total polyphenol contents and CIELab parameters’, which compares Basque and French ciders, is that both the general parameter values in ciders, such as the total polyphenol content estimated according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the chromatic parameters CIELab (L*, a*, b*), as well as certain chemometric techniques, enable differentiation between Basque and French ciders with an accuracy rate of around 90 %.
To determine the specific tasting profile of Basque ciders as distinct from other products in the same category, the tasting panel examined ciders from the United Kingdom, French ciders from Brittany and Normandy, Germany and the U.S.A. These other ciders are more transparent and their CO2 bubbles are not as mixed with the liquid, forming a creamy foam. The colour is also different to that of “Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco”, because they are made from a mix of other fruits and table apples. In terms of aroma and taste, they include aromas and flavours from table apple varieties, miscellaneous fruit or added aromas and they do not have the volatile acidity (acetic acid) that is characteristic in Basque ciders.
In the case of ciders from Asturias, the tasting panel also detected the following differences compared to natural Basque ciders:






—


natural ciders from Asturias lose their CO2 very quickly;










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they are more transparent in appearance;










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they do not have the same freshness on the nose and in the mouth; they are lighter, less oily and creamy, which means that the astringency is more noticeable.




5.3.   Causal link. Link between natural and human factors, raw material and the end product

Studies on the native apples used for cider-making have found these varieties to have specific polyphenol profiles that are closely linked to the product’s physical and chemical properties. A scientific article entitled “Polyphenolic profile in cider and antioxidant power. December 2014” measured the polyphenol profile of monovarietal ciders, from must to cider. It was observed that each variety has a distinctive polyphenol profile, which is closely linked to the physical and chemical characteristics it contributes towards the end product.
The traditional know-how of the producers is also essential in the production of “Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco”, because it influences when the apples are harvested (varying degrees of ripeness in the raw material) and the blending of certain apple varieties. The production system, crushing, pressing, micro-organisms involved in the fermentation process, ageing on lees and blending of different tanks containing different apple varieties are all of the utmost importance in defining the final profile that is characteristic of “Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco”.
As a result of the relief in the Basque Country, the plantations are small in size and scattered throughout the defined geographical area. This has also led to the emergence of new apple varieties that have been cultivated in different orchards over the centuries. The combination of the mild, wet climate and the clayey soils results in profiles with marked acidity and polyphenols in the apples, aspects that are crucial for “Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco”. The expertise of the producers is indispensable for the production method, the characteristics of the product (unfiltered, with no added sugar or water and containing only naturally occurring carbon dioxide), and the bearing regime of the apple trees. The ability to select the right varieties from those that are available and determine when they are ripe, in order to achieve a certain pH and polyphenol content, is decisive for the product, because these aspects the ensure stability and shelf life of a product that can neither be filtered nor stabilised. Moreover, the amount of nitrogen in the apples, combined with the yeasts available, has an impact on both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation of the product. These aspects have direct repercussions for the total fermentation of the sugars and the creation of the naturally occurring CO2 in the product, both of which are decisive factors in ensuring quality and an appropriate shelf life.
It is therefore clear that the characteristics of the demarcated area have determined the characteristics of the apples used to make “Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco”. These include the physical and chemical properties that the apples contribute to this cider, setting it apart from other similar natural ciders, as confirmed by various studies by the University of the Basque Country (“Analysis of different cider apple varieties during ripening, using nuclear magnetic spectroscopy”. July 2002, p.2. Gloria L. del Campo Martínez et al’) which specify that ‘the chemical composition of the apples is dependent on the variety, climate, degree of ripeness and growing practices used’.

Reference to product specification (Article 6(1), second subparagraph, of this Regulation)

Product specification: https://euskalsagardoa.eus/pliego-de-condiciones/?lang=es

Website for access to bibliographical references

https://euskalsagardoa.eus/bibliografia-de-interes/?lang=es


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.