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.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Rosalia’

PDO-AT-02594

Date of application: 21.2.2020

1.   Name to be registered

Rosalia

2.   Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected designation of origin

3.   Categories of grapevine products

1.

Wine

4.   Description of the wine(s)

The area’s red wines are produced from the Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch varieties. The colour of the red wines can be described as a very intense and dark red. The aroma of the red wines is reminiscent of sour cherries and plums. The taste is essentially fruity and characterised by moderate tannins. The unfermented sugar content must not exceed 4,0 g/l. The wines may be aged in either steel tanks or wooden casks. Red wine may also be produced in the form of a ‘reserve’ wine. In this case, the taste is characterised by a higher alcoholic strength (at least 13 % vol.) and more mature tannins.

The area’s rosé wines are also produced from the Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch varieties. The colour of the rosé wines can be described as salmon pink to light cherry red. The aroma and taste of the rosé wines are characterised by red berries (redcurrants, raspberries); no tannins are present. The residual sugar content must comply with the requirements for the designation ‘dry’. A vibrant acidity is an essential part of the taste profile of ‘Rosalia’ PDO rosé wines. The wines are aged mainly in steel tanks, and to a lesser extent in wooden casks.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)	15
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)	12
Minimum total acidity	4 grams per litre, expressed as tartaric acid
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	18
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)	150

5.   Wine making practices

a.   Essential oenological practices

-

b.   Maximum yields

10 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

6.   Demarcated geographical area

The ‘Rosalia’ wine-growing area consists of the Mattersburg political district.

7.   Main wine grapes variety(ies)

Blaufränkisch – Frankovka

Zweigelt – Blauer Zweigelt

Zweigelt – Rotburger

8.   Description of the link(s)

The ‘Rosalia’ PDO area is located on the eastern slopes of the Rosalia Mountains, which extend along the border between the provinces of Lower Austria and Burgenland in the East of Austria.

Climate: the ‘Rosalia’ PDO area forms part of the Pannonian Plain (an extensive lowland plain in southern east-central Europe, which is crossed by the middle course of the River Danube and the lower course of the River Tisza). The Pannonian Plain is characterised by dry, hot summers and cold, dry winters.

Soil: the south-western part of the ‘Rosalia’ PDO area is composed of crystalline rock adjoined to the north-east by increasingly young Neogene sediments in the Vienna Basin. These sediments are deposits from the former sea that used to wash up against the foot of the Rosalia Mountains 12-16 million years ago. To the north and north-east, these sediments are adjoined by a strip of mainly sandy deposits.

Link: unlike the soil conditions, which have relatively little influence on the taste and character of the wines, the climate is a very important factor in the typicity of ‘Rosalia’ PDO wines. The heat of the day allows the grapes to ripen well and thus to develop the taste of sour cherries and plums that is typical of the vine varieties. The cool nights, on the other hand, cause mainly primary aromas (and not sugar) to form, giving the wines their typical fruitiness and moderate tannins.

The customary method of cultivating vineyards in Austria, using a high-culture training system in which the vines are tended mainly by hand (pruning, canopy management, thinning of clusters, etc.), is also used in the ‘Rosalia’ PDO area. The way in which the wines are produced and aged also corresponds to the measures applied on the vast majority of Austrian holdings. As a result, the cultivation methods and cellar technology have a much smaller influence on the character and taste of the wines than the geographical and, above all, climate factors.

9.   Essential further conditions

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The ‘Rosalia’ designation of origin must be used with the traditional designation ‘DAC’ or ‘Districtus Austriae Controllatus’.

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

For all PDO wines, the Austrian Wine Act provides that the production of a PDO wine must take place in the wine-growing region (PGI region of origin) in which the PDO area is located or in an adjacent wine-growing region. Austria therefore makes general use of the derogation provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2019/33.

For the production of ‘Rosalia’ PDO wines, additional conditions have been laid down: production must not take place outside the area of origin without the approval of the Burgenland Regional Wine Committee. Such approval may be granted, in particular, if the producer’s vineyards are located in the ‘Rosalia’ area and the wine is produced at premises of the producer outside that area or if there are parcel contracts between a producer with premises outside the ‘Rosalia’ area and owners of vineyards inside that area.

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Packaging within the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

The Austrian Wine Act does not lay down general rules on the bottling of PDO wines.

In order to ensure the quality and typical characteristics of ‘Rosalia’ PDO wines, the following conditions are laid down on the bottling of ‘Rosalia’ PDO wines: Bottling may not take place outside the area without the approval of the Burgenland Regional Wine Committee. Such approval may be granted, in particular, if the bottler has premises both inside and outside the ‘Rosalia’ PDO.

Link to the product specification

https://info.bmlrt.gv.at/themen/landwirtschaft/landwirtschaft-in-oesterreich/pflanzliche-produktion/wein/Weinherkunft.html

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(1)   OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.