Publication of an application for registration of a name 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 156/06
Date: 2023-05-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Madeira, Portugal, cider, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2023156EN.01003101.xml










3.5.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 156/31






Publication of an application for registration of a name 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 156/06)
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

’Sidra da Madeira'


EU No: PGI-PT-02641 — 14.10.2020


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s)

’Sidra da Madeira'
2.   Member State or Third Country

Portugal
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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Sidra da Madeira’ is the beverage obtained by fermenting the natural juice pressed from the fresh fruit of traditional and other varieties of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) and, sometimes, mixtures of apple and pear (Pyrus communis L.), grown exclusively on the island of Madeira. It is made in accordance with production methods that are traditional or specific to the island.
It is a natural cider produced exclusively by fermenting the juice obtained by cutting, milling, crushing and pressing locally grown apples and, sometimes, pears, meaning that its sugar and carbon dioxide content is of purely endogenous origin. It also exists as a carbonated natural cider, rendered effervescent wholly or in part by the addition of carbon dioxide.
In general terms, it has the following characteristics: minimum alcoholic strength of 5 % (by volume at 20 oC); fermentable sugar content of less than 15 g/l; minimum total acidity (in malic acid) of 3 g/l and up to 10 g/l; maximum volatile acidity (expressed as acetic acid) of 1,8 g/l and maximum total sulphur dioxide content (expressed as SO2) of 200 mg/l.
Depending on the combination of species and varieties of fruit used, ‘Sidra da Madeira’ is bright lemon yellow to straw yellow in colour, with orangey tints, with a clear appearance if filtered or with some sediment if unfiltered.
It has a fresh, authentic aroma, revealing a fruity character of medium to strong intensity, with marked notes of green apple, ripe apple, quince and/or citrus fruit, forming a balanced, pleasant whole.
It is usually still, with a light, not very sweet taste that develops a harmonious balance between sharpness and bitterness, finishing dry. It is distinguished by a strong apple aroma and flavour and the freshness it derives from its notable acidity.
It is sold as bottled cider or as cider packaged in suitable containers (barrels or carboys) for sale in drinking and eating establishments and for retail sale to the final consumer.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The traditional varieties used to produce ‘Sidra da Madeira’ are the apples ‘Barral’, ‘Cara-de-dama’, ‘Branco’, ‘Bico de melro’, ‘Da Festa’, ‘Domingos’, ‘Da Ponta do Pargo’, ‘Calhau’, ‘Focinho de rato’ and ‘Vime’ and, in some cases, the pears ‘Do Santo’ and ‘Tenra de São Jorge’.
The Madeiran farmers’ age-old practice of propagating and sharing genetic material from the trees and fruits with the best characteristics for fresh consumption and/or cider production means that other cultivated varieties of apple and pear are still grown, in particular the apples ‘Baunesa’, ‘Camacha’, ‘Espelho’, ‘Parda’, ‘Rajada’, ‘Reineta Tenra da Camacha’, ‘Santa Isabel’, ‘Ázimo’, ‘Amarelo’, ‘Amargo’, ‘Camoesa’, ‘De vinho’, ‘Ouro’, ‘Pevide’, ‘Rajado’, ‘Rijo’, ‘Riscado’ and ‘Serra’ and the pears ‘Santa Isabel ou de Santana’, ‘São João’, ‘Curé’ and ‘Pardas’, which are also used, although to a lesser extent, in batches destined for the production of ‘Sidra da Madeira’.
Because some producers sought, from very early on, to diversify their orchards with exotic varieties for fresh consumption, such as the apples ‘Golden’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Starking’, ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Reineta’ and the pear ‘Rocha’, many of which were already found on the island by Vieira Natividade in 1947, these fruits can also be used in the production of ‘Sidra da Madeira’ if they are available on the holding or have been grown exclusively on the island.
The mixing or ‘blending’ of this wide range of traditional apple and pear varieties, and sometimes also other apple and pear varieties, which may be more or less sharp, bitter or sweet and are grown on the island, is what produces the richness of colours, aromas and flavours and the refreshing acidity which distinguish the ‘Sidra da Madeira’ produced in various localities on the island by the various different producers.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All the cidermaking stages, from production of the raw material, extraction of the natural juice and fermentation to ageing and preservation, take place on the island of Madeira.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Packaging of ‘Sidra da Madeira’ in bottles or suitable containers (barrels or carboys) for retail sale to the final consumer takes place on the island of Madeira in order to ensure that the specific colours, aromas and flavours of this natural (sometimes carbonated) cider are preserved, avoiding any oxidisation or contamination which may impair its organoleptic characteristics, and in order to guarantee full traceability of the product.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

—
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The island of Madeira.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The application for registration of ‘Sidra da Madeira’ is founded on the link between its colour, aroma and flavour characteristics and marked acidity and, firstly, the wide range of combinations of fruit from traditional and other apple and pear varieties grown exclusively on the island of Madeira which are used to make it and, secondly, the soil and climatic conditions in the localities where the fresh fruit is grown. The strong reputation of ‘Sidra da Madeira’ and its importance in the various localities on the island where it is made also contribute to the link.

Specificity of the product

What distinguishes ‘Sidra da Madeira’ is that it is a natural (sometimes carbonated) cider with a wide range of colours, aromas and flavours and a vibrant acidity, which has made it very popular with consumers, and which is the result of fermenting the natural juice pressed from different ‘blends’ or combinations of the fresh fruit of traditional and other varieties of apple and, sometimes, pear which are grown and picked in orchards planted in various localities on the island of Madeira with more temperate microclimates and more acidic soil, from which the fruit derives its specific organoleptic characteristics.
It is also very well known by producers and consumers because it has always been very important to the inhabitants of the localities on the island where conditions are favourable for growing the fresh fruit from which it is made, where the most traditional cidermaking method was developed and where new practices authorised for this type of drink have been introduced to improve and differentiate its production. Those localities also have ‘festivals’ and folklore events that take place every year to promote their ‘Sidra da Madeira’ and the apples and pears from which it is made.

Specificity of the geographical area

Natural factors. Madeira is a volcanic island in the subtropical region of the North Atlantic. It has a very uneven relief, with steep mountains separated by deep valleys, forming a central mountain range running from east to west, perpendicular to the prevailing winds, with altitudes of over 1 200 m. Owing to its geographical location, Madeira has a mild climate with only small fluctuations in temperature, except on higher ground, where temperatures are lower. The island’s mountainous terrain and exposure to the trade winds have produced a wide variety of microclimates, the southern side being sunny and sheltered, while the northern side is shady, cooler and wet.
The characteristics of the dominant basaltic soils change with increasing altitude and the resulting change in the climate, which becomes wetter and colder. This is why the fruit used to produce ‘Sidra da Madeira’ is grown mainly in areas of the island with more temperate and humid microclimates – chiefly at altitudes of above 400 m on the south side and 300 m on the north side – where semi-acidic to acidic cambisols and andosols predominate, with good aeration and drainage.
Human factors. Among the fruit trees introduced by the first Portuguese settlers in the 1420s were numerous varieties of apple and pear brought over from Portugal, which found ideal growing conditions in the areas with more temperate microclimates and predominantly sandy clay soils with medium to high acidity.
It is thought that production of ‘Sidra da Madeira’ began as soon as the orchards produced enough fruit for consumption and processing. This is corroborated by the accounts of the chronicler Gomes Eanes de Zurara (1410–1474) and by other records indicating that ‘apple wine’ could be found among the supplies that the Portuguese fleets would collect from the island of Madeira from the middle of the 15th century onwards.
It is also known that, from the beginning of the 17th century, ‘apple wine’ was being produced alongside Madeira wine, using the same presses and, in some cases, was even used to adulterate it, until, at the beginning of the 20th century, a ban was introduced on making wine from apples to produce fake Madeira. This ban meant that local producers started fermenting their apple juice to make ‘a new beverage’, which they initially called ‘cidra’ or ‘sidra’ and then subsequently ‘Sidra da Madeira’, to differentiate it from cider produced elsewhere.
The article published in 1906 by the agronomist João da Mota Prego (1859–1931), describing the methods to be used to ‘make cider on Madeira’ and inviting local producers to take up cider production, made a significant contribution to its development, and many producers still follow his recommendations today. Furthermore, when describing the development of fruit growing on Madeira in 1947, the agronomist Vieira Natividade (1899–1968) mapped the wide range of apple and pear varieties on the island and identified the parishes where the tradition of cidermaking continued.
The ease with which pome fruit trees spread and the traditional Madeiran practice of propagating and sharing genetic material from the fruits with the best characteristics led to the emergence of numerous traditional apple and pear varieties descended from those initially introduced by the Portuguese, and later by the British living on the island between the 16th and 18th centuries. They were selected and preserved in different parts of the island, where those varieties which were best adapted to the local soil and climate conditions and produced the best fruit for consumption fresh and for cidermaking were kept and subsequently reproduced by grafting and planted in other parts of the island with similar characteristics.
Over the centuries, this practice has enabled not only the development of the main traditional varieties of pome fruits but also the more recent introduction of exotic apple and pear varieties, which are grown and picked in Madeiran orchards. These varieties also have notable acidity and are also used by some producers to make their ciders, which are obtained using traditional or specific production methods developed in different localities on the island.
For a long time, consumption of ‘Sidra da Madeira’ was restricted to the places in which it was produced, with the cider being consumed above all by those who made it and their families. In recent decades, the situation has changed, with a substantial increase in sales in restaurants and bars on the regional market, as well as an increase in direct sales to final consumers at local markets and fairs and at ‘festivals’ or folklore events held to promote the cider and the apples from which it is made.
Interest in the tradition and quality of this product led, in mid-2016, to the creation of the Madeiran Cidermakers Association (APSRAM), bringing together around 30 cider producers, with the aim of promoting and safeguarding the quality and authenticity of ‘Sidra da Madeira’, promoting research and publicising the product.
Link between the geographical area and the product’s characteristics and reputation
The specific soil and climate characteristics of the island’s localities, which favoured the adaptation and planting of orchards and individual trees of a wide range of apple and pear varieties, give their fruit its unique acidity and distinctive sensory characteristics, which, depending on the combination of fruit used to produce it, is also passed on to ‘Sidra da Madeira’ to a greater or lesser degree.
Thanks to the colour, aroma and flavour characteristics of ‘Sidra da Madeira’, which are determined by the specific characteristics of the ‘blends’ or combinations of fruit of traditional and other varieties of apple and, sometimes, pear used to make it, and its notable acidity, which is primarily the result of the soil and climate conditions of the localities where the fruit is grown, ‘Sidra da Madeira’ has won several national awards, such as the ‘Concurso Nacional de Cervejas e Sidras Tradicionais Portuguesas ’ [National Traditional Portuguese Beer and Cider Contest] and ‘Great Taste – Portugal’. It is, however, local consumers and, increasingly, tourists visiting the island who give it its excellent reputation.
The historical records attesting to the importance of ‘apple wine’, ‘cidra’, ‘sidra’ and ‘Sidra da Madeira’ production over the last 600 years have led the local producers to affirm that cider has been made on the island ever since it was first settled, in the areas where conditions are most suitable for planting the orchards that supply the fruit. This is why there is a strong cidermaking and cider-drinking tradition throughout the island, but chiefly in São Roque do Faial – Santana, Santo António da Serra – Machico, Camacha – Santa Cruz, Jardim da Serra – Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Pargo – Calheta and Prazeres – Calheta, where, because of the very particular rivalry between the island communities, folklore and sociocultural events are held every year to promote the production and consumption of ‘Sidra da Madeira’.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt/pt/cat/bebidas-espirituosas/outras-bebidas/1084-sidra-da-madeira-igp


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.