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

(2023/C 200/08)

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

‘Açores’

PGI-PT-A1447-AM01

Date of application: 22.3.2017

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.   Information concerning the applicant

Description: Update to information concerning the applicant.

Reasons: The information is out of date so an update is required. This is necessary to ensure that the specification complies with the applicable legislation and to clarify the previous description provided.

Amended sections in single document: This amendment does not concern the single document.

Amended sections in product specification: 'Other information' - Details of the applicant.

2.2.   Information concerning stakeholders

Description: Deletion of information concerning stakeholders.

Reasons: Due to a misunderstanding, the details of the applicant had been mistakenly entered in this field. This information has now been deleted. This is necessary to ensure that the specification complies with the applicable legislation and to clarify the previous description provided.

Amended sections in single document: This amendment does not concern the single document.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Other information’- Stakeholders.

2.3.   Information concerning control bodies

Description: Update to information concerning control bodies.

Reasons: The information is out of date so an update is required. This is necessary to ensure that the specification complies with the applicable legislation and to clarify the previous description provided.

Amended sections in single document: This amendment does not concern the single document.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Other information’ – Information concerning control bodies.

2.4.   Information concerning competent supervisory authorities

Description: Update to information concerning competent supervisory authorities.

Reasons: The information is out of date so an update is required. This is necessary to ensure that the specification complies with the applicable legislation and to clarify the previous description provided.

Amended sections in single document: This amendment does not concern the single document.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Other information’ – Information concerning competent supervisory authorities.

2.5.   Product category - addition of new category of grapevine product

Description: The ‘Sparkling wine’ category has been added.

Reasons: The intention is to enhance the economic value of a product that already exists in the region, by applying for it to be recognised under the PGI.

This product type, which is noted for its quality and distinctiveness, is already being made by the producers in accordance with the traditional practices in the region. The decision to include this new product under the ‘Açores’ PGI acknowledges its importance and quality and the value it adds for producers.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Categories of grapevine products’, ‘Description of the wines’, ‘Wine-making practices’, ‘Link with the geographical area’ and ‘Further conditions’.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Categories of grapevine products’, ‘Description of the wines’, ‘Wine-making practices’, ‘Link with the geographical area’ and ‘Further conditions’.

2.6.   Product category - addition of new category of grapevine product

Description: The 'Liqueur wine' category has been added.

Reasons: The intention is to enhance the economic value of a product that already exists in the region, by applying for it to be recognised under the PGI.

This product type, which is noted for its quality and distinctiveness, is already being made by the producers in accordance with the traditional practices in the region. The decision to include this new product under the ‘Açores’ PGI acknowledges its importance and quality and the value it adds for producers.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Categories of grapevine products’, ‘Description of the wines’, ‘Wine-making practices’, ‘Link with the geographical area’ and ‘Further conditions’.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Categories of grapevine products’, ‘Description of the wines’, ‘Wine-making practices’, ‘Link with the geographical area’ and ‘Further conditions’.

2.7.   Description of wines – wine category

Description: The description of the wines has been improved and amended.

Reasons: The previous description was identified as being general and not specific enough, so it has been adapted to include the characteristics associated to products covered by the ‘Açores’ PGI. This is necessary to ensure that the single document and specification comply with the applicable legislation.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Description of Wines’ – Wine category.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Description of Wines’ – Wine category.

2.8.   Wine-growing practices – Maximum yields

Description: Maximum yield amended to 75 hectolitres; exception deleted.

Reasons: The maximum yield has been slightly reduced in order to bring this figure into line with current production levels. The intention is to set clear, objective criteria for this parameter, thus ensuring the uniformity and predictability of production conditions.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Wine-making practices’.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Wine-making practices’.

2.9.   Wine-growing practices - Oenological practices - Wine category

Description: Deletion of the minimum ageing period as an oenological practice for the Wine category.

Reasons: As it is not a condition that has a significant impact on the characteristics of ‘Açores’ PGI wine, the minimum ageing requirement has been deleted.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Wine-making practices’.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Wine-making practices’.

2.10.   Main grape varieties – amendment/adaptation to the list of varieties

Description: The names [of the grape varieties] have been brought into line with the new national list. Varieties added: Alicante Bouschet, Alvarinho, Arinto dos Açores, Bastardo, Caladoc, Grenache, Grüner-Veltliner, Loureiro, Malvarisco, Moscatel-Galego Branco, Petit Verdot, Roupeiro-Branco, Sauvignon, Síria, Syrah, Trincadeira, Verdejo, Verdelho Roxo, Vital.

Reasons: The varieties defined for the production of wines in the ‘Açores’ PGI region had to be adapted and updated to bring them into line with the new legal framework of the national list of varieties suitable for wine production in Portugal. This included varieties that existed in the varietal map for the geographical area, which are relevant in determining the characteristics of ‘Açores’ PGI products. This inclusion does not entail any change to the distinctive character of ‘Açores’ PGI products; on the contrary, it has the effect of optimising it.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Main grape varieties’.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Main grape varieties’.

2.11.   Link with the geographical area – all categories

Description: The description of the link with the geographical area has been adapted and improved.

Reasons: Given that the previous description of the link (Wine category) was identified as being general and not specific enough, and that new product categories (Sparkling wine and Liqueur wine) had to be included in the description of the link, the content of this section has been reworded so that all of the product categories are now included. This improves the objectivity of the content, as the link with the geographical area applies to all of the categories.

Amended sections in single document: ‘Link with the geographical area’.

Amended sections in product specification: ‘Link with the geographical area’.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1.   Name of product

Açores

2.   Geographical indication type

PGI - Protected Geographical Indication

3.   Categories of grapevine products

1.

Wine

3.	Liqueur wine

4.	Sparkling wine

4.   Description of the wine(s)

1.   White wines and rosé wines

White wines – In terms of visual appearance, they are greenish yellow or yellow in colour, slightly gaining in intensity after a period of ageing or when fermented in the barrel. The aromas have fruity and floral notes, depending on the grape varieties used. After a certain period, they may show aromas from ageing with a positive oxidative hint. On the palate, they are characterised by good acidity, salinity, clear minerality and a balance between acidity and alcohol; smoky and oxidative notes may develop with ageing.

Rosé wines – The rosés are salmon or pink in colour, with fruity aromas that combine well with the salinity; marked acidity and minerality on the palate. These are typically fresh wines with a balance between acidity and alcohol.

For the other analytical parameters, the current legal limits apply.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)	11
Minimum total acidity	46,6 milliequivalents per litre
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	18
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)	200

2.   Red wines

Red wines - These wines are red in colour, with fruity aromas and slightly smoky notes. With ageing the smokiness fades and the aromas from ageing come to the fore. In terms of taste, they are fresh with slightly smoky notes and a balance between tannins and alcohol.

For the other analytical parameters, the current legal limits apply.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)	11
Minimum total acidity	46,6 milliequivalents per litre
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	20
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)	150

3.   Sparkling wines - whites and rosés

The white sparkling wines are pale yellow in colour. The aromas are fruity, with citrus and mineral notes and mild smoky notes. Depending on their ageing time, they can acquire toasted aromas. In the mouth, they are fresh, dry, with good acidity, saline and mineral, with body and a long finish. They have a delicate mousse, with fine, long-lasting bubbles.

The rosé sparkling wines are pink, onion skin and grapefruit in colour. In terms of the aromas, red fruits predominate, with mineral notes. Depending on their ageing time, they can acquire toasted aromas. In the mouth, they are fresh, dry, with good acidity, saline and mineral, with body and a long finish. They have a delicate mousse, with fine, long-lasting bubbles.

For the other analytical parameters, the current legal limits apply.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)	11
Minimum total acidity	46,6 milliequivalents per litre
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	18
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)	185

4.   Sparkling wines - Reds

The red sparkling wines range in colour from red to ruby. The aromas are as follows: red fruits, with smoky and mineral notes. Depending on their ageing time, they can acquire toasted aromas. In the mouth, they are fresh, dry, with good acidity, saline and mineral, with a hint of tannins, medium body and a long finish. They have a delicate mousse, with fine, rapidly forming bubbles.

For the other analytical parameters, the current legal limits apply.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)	11
Minimum total acidity	46,6 milliequivalents per litre
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	20
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)	185

5.   Liqueur wines

The liqueur wines are amber to golden brown in colour. In terms of aroma, they are fruity and can also include honeyed, caramel, toasted and smoky notes, as well as aromas of spices as a result of the time spent ageing in barrels. In the mouth, they are dry or medium dry, with good acidity, saline, mineral, with body, dried fruit, smoky, honeyed and with a long finish.

For the other analytical parameters, the current legal limits apply.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)	16
Minimum total acidity	46,6 milliequivalents per litre
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	30
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)	150

5.   Wine making practices

a.   Essential oenological practices

1.   Wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines - wine-growing practices and soils

Cultivation methods

The cultivation methods used in the vineyards intended for the production of wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines entitled to use the ‘Açores’ PGI must be those that are traditional in the region.

Vines intended for making grapevine products entitled to use the ‘Açores’ PGI must be planted or be already growing in soils with the following characteristics:

—	Non-humic lithic soils and lithosols on a consolidated substrate of basalt or similar rocks;

—	Thin or saturated, standard andic brown soils;

—	Regosols and regolic soils derived from basalt rocks, trachytic rocks or from pyroclastic material lying on shallow basalt rock;

—	Clays or molosols.

2.   Wines - natural alcoholic strength by volume

Relevant restriction on making the wines

Musts intended for the production of wines entitled to use the ‘Açores’ PGI are required to have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %.

3.   Sparkling wines - natural alcoholic strength by volume

Relevant restriction on making the wines

Musts intended for the production of sparkling wines entitled to use the ‘Açores’ PGI are required to have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 9 %.

4.   Liqueur wines - natural alcoholic strength by volume

Relevant restriction on making the wines

Musts intended for the production of liqueur wines entitled to use the ‘Açores’ PGI are required to have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %.

5.   Sparkling wines - method

Specific oenological practice

The technological method to be used in making the wine is classic fermentation in the bottle.

6.   Liqueur wines – ageing period

Specific oenological practice

Liqueur wines are aged for at least 12 months.

7.   Liqueur wines – method of production

‘Açores’ PGI liqueur wines are made from grape must meeting the conditions for producing wines entitled to use the ‘Açores’ PGI, to which neutral wine alcohol or wine distillate may be added, provided that the characteristics laid down in the applicable legislation are respected.

b.   Maximum yields

‘Açores’ PGI wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines

75 hectolitres per hectare

6.   Demarcated geographical area

The geographical area where ‘Açores’ PGI wines are produced comprises all of the islands in the archipelago of the Azores.

7.   Main wine grapes variety(ies)

Agronómica

Alicante-Bouschet

Alvarinho

Aragonez - Tinta-Roriz; Tempranillo

Arinto - Pedernã

Arinto-dos-Açores - Terrantez-da-Terceira

Bastardo - Graciosa

Bical - Borrado-das-Moscas

Cabernet-Franc

Cabernet-Sauvignon

Caladoc

Castelão - João-de-Santarém(1); Periquita

Chardonnay

Complexa

Fernão-Pires - Maria-Gomes

Galego -Dourado

Generosa

Gewürztraminer

Gouveio

Grenache

Grüner-Veltliner

Loureiro

Malvarisco

Malvasia

Malvasia-Fina - Boal; Bual

Merlot

Moscatel-Galego-Branco - Muscat-à-Petits-Grains

Moscatel-Graúdo - Moscatel-de-Setúbal

Petit-Verdot

Pinot-Gris - Pinot-Grigio

Pinot-Noir

Riesling

Rio-Grande

Roupeiro-Branco

Rufete - Tinta-Pinheira

Sauvignon - Sauvignon-Blanc

Seara-Nova

Sercial - Esgana-Cão

Syrah - Shiraz

Síria - Roupeiro, Códega

Terrantez-do-Pico

Tinta -Barroca

Tinta Negra Mole, Saborinho

Touriga-Franca

Touriga-Nacional

Trincadeira - Tinta-Amarela, Trincadeira-Preta

Tália - Ugni-Blanc; Trebbiano-Toscano

Verdejo

Verdelho

Verdelho-Roxo

Vinhão - Sousão

Viosinho

Vital

8.   Description of the link(s)

‘Açores’ PGI wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines

Details of the geographical area relevant to the link

These details apply to wines, liqueur wines and sparkling wines.

Natural factors

The archipelago of the Azores is of volcanic origin and is located in the Atlantic at a distance of 1 600 km west of the coast of mainland Portugal.

The archipelago consists of 9 islands, ranging in area between 17 and 749 km2, at the intersection between the American, European and African tectonic plates.

The Azores archipelago has a temperate maritime climate with mild temperatures ranging from 16 °C in winter to 26 °C in summer.

Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, the temperature of the sea is also mild, ranging between 14 and 22 °C on average.

The sun shines for 3 or 4 hours per day in winter and around 7 or 8 per day in summer.

It rains to varying degrees all year round, with rainfall being generally heavier and more constant between October and March. In each of those months, average rainfall exceeds 100 mm and there are about 20 rainy days per month. Rainfall in the Azores is normally in the form of showers that can occasionally be heavy, Relative air humidity (annual average) is about 75 %.

As a result of air masses colliding, wind is a significant feature of the climate throughout the archipelago of the Azores. This is because of the humidity and salinity it brings, which are determined to an extent by the terrain and the aspect of the relief on each of the islands.

Due to their volcanic and relatively recent geological origin, the soils are shallow with an abundance of coarse elements (pebbles), and are primarily formed on basaltic, trachytic and andesite rocks.

Human factors

Winegrowing in the Azores archipelago goes back to the time when it was settled in the mid-15th century. Franciscan friars are thought to have been responsible for introducing vines. From their arrival on the territory, these monks noticed similarities between the soil and climate conditions in Sicily and some of the islands in the archipelago. This led them to introduce varieties from Italy, particularly Verdelho, which spread rapidly.

From the outset, the areas most exposed to the adverse impact of the winds coming off the Atlantic had to be adapted in order for vines to be grown. This shaped the landscape, with the building of ‘currais’ or ‘curraletas’ (plots of land demarcated by dry stone walls). These served two purposes: removing excess stones from the soils and providing protection from the wind.

This distinctive human landscape, created by the need to protect the vineyards from the Atlantic winds, has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Cultural Landscape.

Specific characteristics of the products associated with the geographical area:

Wines, liqueur wines and sparkling wines

‘Açores’ PGI wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines are products that share unique, distinctive attributes, in particular their freshness, salinity, minerality, good acidity and fruity aromas.

Link with the geographical area:

Wines, liqueur wines and sparkling wines

The specific conditions of the geographical area are crucial in determining the distinctive characteristics of ‘Açores’ PGI grapevine products.

The high levels of rainfall and humidity are conducive to gradual ripening of the grapes, thus contributing to the acidity and marked freshness of ‘Açores’ PGI wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines.

The presence of coarse material in the soil increases the reflection of heat, which favours the ripening of the grapes and the expression of the aromatic compounds of the grape varieties, resulting in wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines with distinctive aromas.

The volcanic soils, combined with the strong Atlantic influence due to the island location, are what give ‘Açores’ PGI grapevine products their characteristic minerality and salinity.

The human factor, preserving the centuries-old tradition, is reflected in the construction of the plots (known as ‘currais’ and ‘curraletas’), which are essential in protecting the vines from exposure to the Atlantic winds and in creating the best growing conditions for the vines, which is of significant importance in ensuring the right conditions for the grapes to ripen, as well as contributing towards the balance of aromas in the wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines produced.

9.   Essential further conditions

‘Açores’ PGI wines, sparkling wines and liqueur wines

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

Assessment of labelling prior to placement on the market.

The mark is a mandatory indication on the labelling.

Link to the product specification

https://www.ivv.gov.pt/np4/8616.html

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(1)  OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.