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

2010/C 319/06

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘VINAGRE DEL CONDADO DE HUELVA’

EC No: ES-PDO-0005-0724-15.10.2008

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1.   Name:

‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’

2.   Member State or third country:

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies:

‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ is a wine vinegar obtained by acetous fermentation of a wine certified by the Regulatory Board of the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin.

Types of vinegar

(a)   Vinagre Condado de Huelva

Vinegar obtained by acetous fermentation of a wine certified by the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin, with residual alcohol from the wine used of not more than 0,5 % vol.

Organoleptic evaluation:

Appearance: Pale yellow to amber and light intensity, appropriate to a Condado de Huelva vinegar.

Aroma: Acetic aromas with hints of wine.

Taste: Mild vinous flavour, well-balanced as regards acidity. Long finish with hints of apple from the Zalema variety of grape used.

(b)   Vinagre Viejo Condado de Huelva

‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ is aged in oak casks or vats, enriched with liqueur wines and quality liqueur wines with the ‘Condado’ Designation of Origin, with a residual alcohol content from these wines of not more than 3 % vol.

(b)(1)   Vinagre Viejo Condado de Huelva Solera.

This is a ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ aged using the traditional ‘criaderas y soleras’ method, for a period of no less than six months.

Organoleptic evaluation:

Appearance: Amber in colour with mahogany tones. Medium intensity.

Aroma: Acetic aromas with hints of dried fruit.

Taste: Vinous flavour, full and balanced on the palate.

(b)(2)   Vinagre Viejo Condado de Huelva Reserva.

This is a ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ aged using the traditional ‘criaderas y soleras’ method, for a period of no less than two years.

Organoleptic evaluation:

Appearance: Mahogany in colour with amber highlights and very high intensity.

Aroma: Aggressive aroma, with high acetic intensity, hints of mature ‘Condado de Huelva’ wine, reminiscent of vanilla, dried figs and raisins.

Taste: Drying, very acidic taste on the palate.

(b)(3)   Vinagre Viejo Condado de Huelva Añada.

This is a ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ aged in wooden casks for a period of no less than three years.

Organoleptic evaluation:

Appearance: Intense mahogany colour, reflecting the vinegar's silky body, very intense.

Aroma: Strong acetic aromas, hints of liqueur wines and touches of oak from the casks.

Taste: Full, acidic, with a rich balance on the palate and long and intense aftertaste. Reminiscent of dried fruits and spices.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only):

The raw material used to produce the vinegar is white wine or liqueur wine with the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin.

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

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

Not applicable.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

Not applicable.

3.7.   Specific rules on labelling:

Labels authorised by the Regulatory Board and the quality seals that certify that the product is authentic must bear the words ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The municipalities covered by the PDO ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ are Almonte, Beas, Bollullos Par del Condado, Bonares, Chucena, Gibraleón, Hinojos, La Palma del Condado, Lucena del Puerto, Manzanilla, Moguer, Niebla, Palos de la Frontera, Rociana del Condado, San Juan del Puerto, Trigueros, Villalba del Alcor and Villarrasa. The area extends along the plain of the lower Guadalquivir and borders on the Doñana National Park.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

(a)   Natural link

The characteristics of Condado de Huelva vinegars are a product above all of the natural environment in which they are produced and aged and they are influenced in a profound and unique way by the proximity of the Doñana National Park, considered to be one of the lungs of Europe. The Condado de Huelva area is known as the ‘Entorno de Doñana’ (the Doñana Region).

The Condado de Huelva lies in the Guadalquivir depression, situated in the south-east quadrant of the Province of Huelva, stretching from the foothills of the Sierra de Aracena to the coast and bordering on the Doñana National Park.

The landscape of the area in which the vinegar is produced and aged is flat or slightly undulating, with gradients nowhere above 17 %, at altitudes increasing from 50 to 180 m from south to north, with uniform soils because of the composition of the rich parent material.

The geographical location of the Condado de Huelva gives it a Mediterranean climate, although its exposure to the Atlantic, facilitated by the relief, brings oceanic influences. The climate is therefore relatively wet.

(b)   Human link

There are two types of vinegar produced in Condado de Huelva:

The first is obtained by acetous fermentation of white wine or liqueur wine with the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin, using the industrial method of submerged fermentation based on the presence of a bacterial culture in the wine being processed into vinegar, and involves constantly saturating the wine with fine air bubbles.

To obtain this type of ‘Vinagre Condado de Huelva’ vinegar, fermentation is carried out at a temperature of between 28 and 33 °C and aeration must be adequate in terms of both quality and quantity.

A second type, ‘Vinagre Viejo’, is made from ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’, and is produced in three varieties depending on the type and period of ageing used, ‘Vinagre Viejo Solera’, ‘Vinagre Viejo Reserva’ and ‘Vinagre Viejo Añada’.

Both ‘Vinagre Viejo Solera’ and ‘Vinagre Viejo Reserva’ are aged using the traditional ‘criaderas y soleras’ system, which is a dynamic system in which the American Oak casks and vats are stacked in pyramids. The youngest vinegars are mixed with the oldest vinegars, by means of ‘sprinkling’ vinegar from the highest row of the stack, known as the ‘criadera’, to the lowest, known as the ‘solera’, from which extraction occurs. The space created in the casks or vats is then replenished with the next oldest vinegar and so on. This extraction and sprinkling action is known as ‘correr escalas’, and in this way a vinegar is obtained which is made up of various vintages of wines which account for the uniformity of the final product. A unique feature of ‘Condado de Huelva’ vinegar is that throughout the whole ageing process up to extraction the liqueur wine or quality liqueur wine with the Designation of Origin ‘Condado de Huelva’ is added to or used to enrich the vinegars, thereby facilitating oxidation during the ageing process, improving the bouquet of the vinegar through the formation of esters and nourishing the acetic bacteria in the alcohol which comes from these liqueur wines and quality liqueur wines, in order to prevent the acetic acid already formed from deteriorating.

‘Vinagre Viejo Solera’ is aged for a minimum of six months in oak casks or vats and ‘Vinagre Viejo Reserva’ for a minimum of twenty-four months.

‘Vinagre Viejo Añada’, in contrast to ‘Vinagre Viejo Solera’ and ‘Vinagre Viejo Reserva’ is aged using the traditional ‘Añadas’ method for a minimum period of thirty-six months. Here the vinegar is aged in casks or vats to which may be added only liqueur wine or quality liqueur wine. These vinegars are made from wines of a single vintage, as no blending is allowed, and the characteristics are inherent to the vintage in question. As with the system of ‘criaderas y soleras’, the addition of liqueur wine and quality liqueur wine during ageing lends the final product unique characteristics.

The architecture of the ageing rooms is so designed as to maintain a constant temperature of between 15 and 18 °C throughout the year, with the highest possible relative humidity (between 60 % and 80 %), good ventilation and a suitable orientation. This is achieved by means of high ceilings and correctly orientated windows and by sprinkling the clay floors with water during period of high temperatures, all intended to create the microclimate required to ensure the optimum ageing of our vinegars.

The casks and vats of American oak used in the Condado de Huelva play a fundamental role in improving the quality of the vinegars during the ageing process. The porosity of the oak allows the vinegar to come into contact with oxygen in the air, permitting oxidation, which promotes ageing. The volume of oxygen that passes through the wood is estimated to be 25 cm3 per litre per year. This all depends on the thickness and nature of the wood.

During ageing, there are changes in the chemical composition of the vinegar and these bring about changes in the characteristics of the vinegar. The processes involved are:

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

(a)   Vinagre Condado de Huelva

Vinegar produced by the acetous fermentation of white wine or liqueur wine with the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin.

Organoleptic evaluation:

Appearance: Pale yellow to amber and light intensity, appropriate to a ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’.

Aroma: Acetic aromas with hints of wine with the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin.

Taste: Mild vinous flavour, well-balanced as regards acidity. Long finish with hints of apple from the native Zalema variety of grape used.

(b)   Vinagre Viejo Condado de Huelva

‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ is aged in oak casks or vats, and is unique in that during the ageing process the vinegar is enriched with liqueur wines and quality liqueur wines with the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin, which endows them with some unique characteristics, with a residual alcohol content from these wines of not more than 3 % vol.

There are three subcategories of this vinegar, which differ in their type and period of ageing.

Organoleptic evaluation:

Chromatic analysis of the vinegars with the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ using transmission colorimetry gives the following values as distinguishing characteristics:

(a)   Maximum clarity value (L*): 93 %.

(b)   Colour intensity, expressed by the chroma (Cab): greater than 20 units.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The distinguishing characteristics of ‘Vinagre del Condado de Huelva’ are mainly due to the raw material from which it is made, a wine with the ‘Condado de Huelva’ Designation of Origin, which owes its unique characteristics to the native Zalema variety of grape, which is native and exclusive to the defined geographical area, and to its production and ageing in Condado de Huelva.

Additionally, thanks to the geographical location of the area covered by the Designation of Origin, oxidation is favoured by the high relative humidity, mild temperatures and a higher oxygen content in the air on account of the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean and the Doñana National Park.

The flat or slightly undulating landscape facilitates the arrival of these currents of air. The orientation and architecture of the ageing rooms allow good ventilation, and favour the transfer of oxygen through the oak of the casks and vats.

The climatic conditions affect the production of the ‘Vinagre Viejo’, and also allow the vinegar to be aged in the enclosed courtyards of the producers’ installations.

The value of the parameters determines the characteristics of the vinegars.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

(Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía No 184 of 16 September 2008, page 29.)

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/opencms-cap/opencms/handle404?exporturi=/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-agroalimentarias/denominacion-de-origen/Pliegos/Pliego_Vinagre_Condado.pdf&exporturi=/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-agroalimentarias/denominacion-de-origen/Pliegos/Pliego_Vinagre_Condado.pdf