25.9.2023

Official Journal of the European Union

C 337/8

Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to a product specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 17(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33

(2023/C 337/06)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1).

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’

PDO-FR-A0494-AM02

Date of communication: 27.6.2023

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1. Official Geographic Code

The list of municipalities making up the geographical area and the area in immediate proximity has been updated to take account of the 2022 Official Geographic Code.

This is a purely editorial change and does not alter the geographical area.

Points 6 and 9 of the single document have been amended in line with this change.

2. Geographical area

The dates have been added on which the competent national authority approved an amendment to the geographical area of production of the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’ and ‘Le Pallet’.

The single document is not affected by this amendment.

3. Demarcated parcel area

The dates have been added on which the competent national authority approved an amendment to the demarcated parcel area within the geographical area of production. The demarcated parcel area is made up of the parcels within the geographical area of production that have been identified as being suitable for producing the protected designation of origin.

The single document is not affected by this amendment.

4. Transitional measures

The transitional measures no longer in force have been deleted.

These deletions do not require any changes to the single document.

5. Reference to the inspection body

The reference to the inspection body has been reworded to align it with the wording used in other product specifications. This is merely an editorial amendment.

This amendment does not require any changes to the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name(s)

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

2. Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine product

Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION

The wines are white, dry and still. They have: a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %; a maximum fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) of 3 grams per litre; a maximum volatile acid content of 10 milliequivalents per litre; a maximum total alcoholic strength by volume after enrichment of 12 %. The total acid content, the total sulphur dioxide content and the total actual alcoholic strength comply with the thresholds laid down in EU legislation. The wines are white, dry and still. They have a delicate balance of taste between roundness and freshness and develop a complex bouquet of aromas with dominant fruity or floral notes. In some cases, prolonged maturation makes them suitable for ageing. They are packed carefully in bottles to preserve and strengthen their aromatic richness.

The analytical criteria are in line with the applicable rules.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum total acidity
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

5. Winemaking practices

5.1. Specific oenological practices

Cultivation method

The minimum planting density of the vines is 6 500 plants per hectare.

The distance between the rows is 1,50 metres or less, and the spacing between plants in the same row is between 0,90 and 1,10 metres.

The vines are pruned with a maximum of 12 buds per plant:

either by spur pruning with a maximum of 5 spurs per plant,

or by means of single or double Guyot.

Pruning is carried out before the budding stage or stage 5 on the Eichhorn and Lorenz scale.

Regardless of the pruning method, the vines can be pruned with four additional buds per plant on condition that, at the phenological stage corresponding to 11 or 12 leaves, there are no more than 12 fruit-bearing branches for the year per plant.

Specific oenological practice

Any heat treatment of the wine harvest at a temperature below -5 °C is prohibited.

After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12 %.

The wines are aged on their fine winemaking lees at the end of alcoholic fermentation and at least until 1 March of the year following harvest. They remain on their fine winemaking lees at the time of packing or when first dispatched from the winery.

In addition to the above, the oenological practices for these wines must meet the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.

5.2. Maximum yields

66 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

All stages of the production must take place within the geographical area approved by the National Institute of Origin and Quality at the meeting of the relevant national committee on 15 June 2017. The perimeter of this area, on the date of approval of this specification by the relevant national committee, comprises the territory of the following municipalities or parts of municipalities, based on the 2022 Official Geographic Code:

—

Department of Loire-Atlantique: Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine, Basse-Goulaine, Le Bignon (partly), La Chapelle-Heulin, Château-Thébaud, Clisson, Divatte-sur-Loire (only for the territory of the delegated municipality of La Chapelle-Basse-Mer), Gétigné (partly), Gorges, La Haie-Fouassière, Haute-Goulaine, Le Landreau, Le Loroux-Bottereau (partly), Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, Monnières, Montbert (partly), Mouzillon, Le Pallet, La Regrippière, Remouillé, Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine, Saint-Hilaire-de-Clisson, Saint-Julien-de-Concelles, Saint-Lumine-de-Clisson, Les Sorinières (partly), Vallet, Vertou;

—	Department of Maine-et-Loire: Sèvremoine (only for the territory of the delegated municialities of Saint Crespin-sur-Moine and Tillières);

—	Department of Vendée: Cugand (part), Montaigu-Vendée only for the territory of the delegated municipality of Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay (part).

7. Wine grape variety(-ies)

Melon B

8. Description of the link(s)

8.1. Description of the natural factors relevant to the link

The wine-growing area for the registered designation of origin ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ is characterised by a hilly landscape linked to a particularly dense hydrographic network. East of the city of Nantes, on the slopes overlooking the Loire and the Goulaine marshes or further south on the slopes of the Sèvre, the Maine and their tributaries, the vineyard parcels occupy the hillsides and shape the countryside. This area forms the central part of the geographical area for the ‘Muscadet’ AOC and covers part of the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire and Vendée.

Strongly influenced by the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, the area’s climate does however have some nuances. The generally very mild winters are particularly temperate to the north, near the Loire and the Goulaine marshes, where the supplementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’ is located, and to the west, the site of the supplementary geographical name ‘Château-Thébaud’, which is more subject to oceanic influences. The winters are significantly colder towards the south-east, where the supplementary geographical names ‘Mouzillon - Tillières’, ‘Gorges’ and ‘Clisson’ are situated, as these areas are further away from the Loire and the marshes. The summers generally remain cool due to the ocean breezes, with below average rainfall and long hours of sunshine.

The geological structure of the geographical area reveals a great variety of rocks from the Paleozoic era:

—	micaschists dominate in the north and north-east, associated, on the edge of the Goulaine marshes, with gneiss interspersed with bands of greenstone, both metamorphic rocks which form the basis of the supplementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’;

—	to the east there is a major gabbro massif which forms the geological backbone of the supplementary geographical name ‘Gorges’ and stretches along the river Sanguèze, where the supplementary geographical name ‘Mouzillon - Tillières’ takes over;

—	the western part of the geographical area rests on a substratum composed mainly of orthogneiss, low-acid gneiss and a granodiorite which make up the base of the ‘Château-Thébaud’ supplementary geographical name;

—

at the centre of the geographical area, the supplementary geographical name ‘Le Pallet’ is located in a sector where the rocks are poorly altered and heavily cracked, while the gneiss rocks on which the vineyards of the complementary geographical name ‘Monnières — Saint-Fiacre’ stand often have a more altered facies;

—	in the south, a fault isolates a large-grain granite massif characteristic of the supplementary geographical name ‘Clisson’.

In places the primary base is covered by sandy-clayey sediments more or less rich in pebbles.

In spite of their diversity these formations are often the basis for brown, well-drained sandy and stony brown soils, sometimes enriched in clays on the underlying layers composed of gabbros. The parcel area where the grapes are harvested consists of well-defined parcels which have well-filtered soils with a good heat-retaining capacity, a limited water-retention capacity and moderate chemical fertility.

St Martin, a monk and founder of Vertou Abbey in the sixth century, was the first to organise viticulture on the hillsides of the Sèvre and Maine. The development of vineyards continued throughout the Middle Ages along the navigable stretches of these two rivers, allowing in particular the early growth of the vineyards making up the supplementary geographical names ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Monnières - Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Le Pallet’. From the 16th century onwards, at the instigation of the international traders in Nantes, the Melon B variety became the vine most planted in the region. The name ‘Muscadet’ appears for the first time in 1635, on a lease contract preserved in Gorges. At the end of the 18th century the parish of Monnières already had almost two-thirds of its land under vines, proof of the region’s wine specialisation.

Following the destruction of vineyards on the fringes of the Vendée wars in 1793-1794, and then the damage caused by phylloxera, wine-growers adopted new techniques such as planting in rows and the Guyot pruning method. Therefore, production know-how has been consolidated: use of the Melon B variety, maintaining a high planting density, checking the vines’ growth and limiting their yield, and harvesting the grapes once fully ripened.

8.2. Description of the natural factors relevant to the link 2

To produce richer and more complex wines, the operators adopted a particular technical winemaking procedure known as the Nantes method, which consists in keeping the wines on fine winemaking lees for at least one winter without any racking. This know-how stems from the winegrowers’ habit of keeping a barrel of their best wine on the lees to celebrate family events the following spring. This specific ageing method makes for round and unctuous wines, as they are enriched, in particular, with mannoproteins and other compounds resulting from the autolysis of yeast cell walls. Moreover, this method, based on letting the wines rest and keeping them in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, which strongly limits oxidation and the release of volatile compounds, allows the wines to preserve the aromas formed during the alcoholic fermentation until the spring and beyond. During ageing, the wines are also enriched with tertiary aromas. The grapes, musts and wines produced by the Melon B variety contain a significant concentration of precursors of glycosidic aromas. These molecules, formed from aglycones related to sugars, are normally odourless, but the breaking of the β-glucosidic linkages by various chemical and enzymatic processes generates strongly odorous compounds, mainly monoterpenes and C13-norisoprenoids, with the formation in particular of β-damascone, a substance known for its role as a supplier of fruity aromas of wines. The operators have acquired special expertise in protecting the wines from oxidation in the vat and in bottling them with care, so that their fragrances can continue to be released for as long as possible, making for more complex wines. These customs are sometimes adapted to the changes in the environment, such as the very late harvesting of grapes in the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Monnières - Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Mouzillon - Tillières’, the preservation of a high rate of organic acids in the musts for the supplementary geographical names ‘Gorges’ and ‘Château-Thébaud’, the early harvesting of the complementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’ or the practice of keeping wines for long periods on their fine wine-making lees for the best cuvées. The wines with a supplementary geographical name are aged on their lees until they are packaged. They are bottled directly at the winery so as to limit the risks of oxidation and reduce the loss of aromas.

From 1925, seeking to preserve their wines’ quality and renown, the producers in the municipality of La Haie-Fouassière and the surrounding area obtained, through the courts, permission to declare their wines under the name ‘Muscadet Grands Crus de Sèvre et Maine’. The AOC ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ was recognised in 1936. The traditional term ‘sur lie’ was given specific rules in 1977, and since 1994 it has resulted in the bottling of wines during the year following the year of harvesting, in the wineries where vinification took place, to keep racking and decanting to a minimum.

The geographical area now has a very marked wine-growing specialisation, and several municipalities devote a large part of their land to growing only Melon B vines. With about 8 000 hectares operated by 600 producers in 2016, the AOC ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ wines account for almost 70 % of the volume marketed in all the AOCs of the Nantes wine-growing area. More than half of these wines are marked ‘sur lie’.

8.3. Description of the natural factors relevant to the link 3

The wines with the registered designation of origin ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ are still, dry white wines. They have a delicate balance of taste between roundness and freshness and develop a complex bouquet of aromas with dominant fruity or floral notes. They are packed carefully in bottles to preserve and strengthen their aromatic richness.

Generally, the wines with the endorsement ‘sur lie’ are balanced in the mouth, tending more towards roundness; they have a more complex bouquet and they may be slightly sparkling due to the residual carbon dioxide formed during the alcoholic fermentation. To preserve their freshness, aromatic richness and endogenous carbon dioxide, the wines are protected from oxidation during ageing. The wines are bottled, their carbon dioxide content being too high for them to be packed in flexible containers, and particular care is required during bottling.

Prolonged maturation can make the wines suitable for ageing, for example those with a supplementary geographical name:

—	‘Château-Thébaud’, the wines of which are usually characterised by the finesse and elegance of their bouquet, varying between fruity, floral and aromatic plants, characteristics which meet in the mouth with saline, fresh and tense flavours;

—	‘Clisson’, whose wines are generally characterised by a very concentrated taste and intense aromas, mainly of fruit (ripe and dried);

—	‘Gorges’, the wines of which are often very powerful in the mouth, supported by acidity and bitterness and by mineral or menthol aromas;

—	‘Goulaine’, where the wines usually have an intense bouquet dominated by notes of fresh and dried fruit and floral nuances, and are indicated by their balance, roundness, very slight bitterness and a long-lasting velvety impression in the mouth;

—	‘Mouzillon - Tillières’, whose wines, closed in their youth, later frequently have intense floral, citrus, aromatic herb aromas, with brioche and mineral notes and a taste whose concentrated structure is supported by slight bitterness and astringency;

—	‘Monnières - Saint-Fiacre’, the wines of which are often distinguished by their strong aromas of dried or candied fruit and balsamic notes, while in the mouth they reveal a broad and generous profile with a creamy character balanced by a very slight bitterness;

—	‘Le Pallet’, whose wines are frequently distinguished by their smooth balance in the mouth and by their very fine aromatic bouquet dominated by the floral component.

To preserve the qualities obtained by ageing and to avoid any oxidation, the wines with supplementary geographical names are bottled directly at the winery.

Due to their coarse texture bequeathed by old rocks, the soils of the geographical area give the vines an early start to their growth cycle and limit their vigour. The mild winters also contribute to early ripening, with the summer sun and sea winds keeping the plants healthy. These soils provide a moderate and steady water supply to the vine, the guarantee of good ripening, due to their reduced water reserve and fracturing which enable deep rooting. Over the centuries, these factors favoured the selection of the early grape variety Melon B, particularly as the moderate summer temperatures in the geographical area are ideal in order to preserve the freshness and aromas of the wines from this delicate white variety.

The long wine-growing history of the geographical area, its early specialisation and the density of the vines which characterise it have long favoured the pooling of practices. Seeking to protect the authenticity of their products, the producers obtained recognition as an AOC from 1936, one of the first to achieve this in France, at the end of a process initiated in the 1920s.

8.4. Description of the natural factors relevant to the link 4

Their know-how enables operators to control production and harvest healthy grapes at full maturity. Made in line with local custom, the wines are aged on their fine winemaking lees until packaging, without any racking. The geographical area’s mild winter temperatures, which favour interaction with the lees, allow the wines to continue to improve during ageing, growing richer on the palate from the very next spring. Careful bottling makes it possible to preserve the wine’s essential characteristics, as some aromas continue to develop after packaging. This know-how, perfectly suited to the potential of the natural environment and the Melon B variety, allows the odorous molecules formed in fermentation and the precursors of glycosidic aromas to be fully expressed in the wines.

Bottled the year after the harvest, ‘Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu’ wines marked ‘sur lie’ keep their characteristic freshness, enhanced by a light effervescence due to the residual carbon dioxide formed during the winemaking process. To avoid any oxidation, the wines are bottled directly at the winery. This traditional practice, which minimises handling, is perfectly suited to preserving the delicate aroma compounds of the wines. The diversity of rocks and soils derived therefrom, the topographical variations and climatic nuances due to the distance of islands under vines in relation to the water bodies, partly explain the aromatic complexity encountered in the wines. Taking advantage of the diversity of the natural environment, along with demanding wine-making practices, have enabled producers to distinguish specific features and to promote the supplementary geographical names which constitute the ‘flagships’ of the protected designation of origin:

—

‘Château-Thébaud’ which, due to its western location on the promontories bordering the river Maine, has a climate favourable to early growth. Its soils, the legacy of gneiss and granodiorite rocks, allow the vines to root deeply, and produce musts rich in organic acids which, after a long ageing period, promote the production of fine and tense wines with great freshness and minerality;

—

‘Clisson’, where the interaction between a relatively late climate, the shallow sandy soils derived from granite, the steep slopes on the Sèvre or the Maine and practices geared towards the search for late grape ripening and long ageing of wines on their fine winemaking lees give the wines their richness in the mouth and their characteristic fruity aromas;

—

‘Gorges’, where the soils formed by the weathering of gabbros and the relatively late local climate, along with practices intended to harvest the grapes before full ripeness, and then to age the wines for a long period in an anaerobic environment on their fine lees, result in wines which are lively in the mouth and have a very fresh, mineral aroma;

—

‘Goulaine’, where the land, developed on almost unaltered metamorphic rocks, has a climate that is strongly tempered by the proximity of the Loire and the marshes. This encourages rapid ripening of the grapes which, thanks to being harvested early at full ripeness, produce expressive, balanced and flexible wines with aromas of fresh and dried fruit;

—

‘Monnières - Saint-Fiacre’, situated on the ridges and hillsides bordering the Sèvre, where the soils developed on gneiss with low acidity, loose or altered, cause slow ripening, allowing the grapes to become very ripe, the basis for full and powerful wines with ripe fruit notes tending towards candied fruit;

—

‘Mouzillon - Tillières’, in the east of the winegrowing area, where the interaction between a more continental climate and sandy-clayey soils formed on gabbro rocks with little alteration favours accelerated ripening, resulting in wines which after careful ageing have intense aromas recalling brioche, spice, fruits and flowers.

—	‘Le Pallet’, where the long wine-growing tradition and the cohesion of the producers have helped to build up the know-how that makes best use of the grapes harvested at full maturity on stony and cracked soils, leading to the harmony of the wines’ taste and the fineness of their floral aromas.

The operators have learned to preserve the aromatic characteristics of these wines by minimising all contact with oxygen in the air during packaging. With this in mind and in accordance with local custom, these wines are packed in bottles in the same winery where they are produced.

9. Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Packaging within the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

Wines that may be labelled ‘sur lie’ [aged on the lees] must be bottled within the demarcated area.

They are bottled at the winery, so as to keep decanting to a minimum, between 1 March and 31 December of the year following the harvest to preserve the qualities obtained using specific winemaking and ageing methods, in particular their freshness and complex aromas, some of which develop after bottling, and a slight effervescence due to their naturally occurring carbon dioxide content.

This specific ageing method makes for round and unctuous wines, as they are enriched, in particular, with mannoproteins and other compounds resulting from the autolysis of yeast cell walls. This method is based on letting the wines rest and keeping them in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, which strongly limits oxidation and the release of volatile compounds.

The wines are bottled, their carbon dioxide content being too high for them to be packed in flexible containers, and particular care is required during bottling.

They remain on their fine winemaking lees at the time of packing or when first dispatched from the winery.

Area in immediate proximity (1)

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

The area in immediate proximity, defined by derogation for making, processing and ageing the wines and for making, processing, ageing and bottling wines eligible for the endorsement ‘sur lie’ [aged on the lees], comprises the territory of the following municipalities or parts of municipalities, based on the 2022 Official Geographic Code:

—

Department of Loire-Atlantique: Ancenis, La Bernerie-en-Retz, Le Bignon (partly), La Boissière-du-Doré, Bouaye, Bouguenais, Boussay, Brains, Carquefou, Le Cellier, Chaumes-en-Retz, Chauvé, Cheix-en-Retz, La Chevrolière, Corcoué-sur-Logne, Couffé, Divatte-sur-Loire (only for the territory of the delegated municiality of Barbechat), Frossay, Geneston, Gétigné (partly), Legé, Ligné, La Limouzinière, Loireauxence (only for the territory of the delegated municialities of La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur and Varades), Le Loroux-Bottereau (partly), Machecoul-Saint-Même, La Marne, Mauves-sur-Loire, Mésanger, Montbert (partly), Montrelais, Les Moutiers-en-Retz, Oudon, Paulx, Le Pellerin, La Planche, Pont-Saint-Martin, Pornic, Port-Saint-Père, La Remaudière, Rezé, Rouans, Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu, Saint-Colomban, Sainte-Pazanne, Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte, Saint-Géréon, Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons, Saint-Léger-les-Vignes, Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais, Saint-Mars-de-Coutais, Saint-Père-en-Retz, Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, Saint-Viaud, Les Sorinières (partly), Thouaré-sur-Loire, Touvois, Vair-sur-Loire, Vieillevigne, Villeneuve-en-Retz, Vue.

Area in immediate proximity (2)

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

Vair-sur-Loire, Vieillevigne, Villeneuve-en-Retz, Vue.

—

Department of Maine-et-Loire: Beaupréau-en-Mauges (only the territory of the delegated municialities of Beaupréau and Gesté), Ingrandes-Le Fresne sur Loire (only the territory of the delegated municiality of Fresne-sur-Loire), Mauges-sur-Loire (only the territory of the delegated municialities of La Chapelle-Saint-Florent, Le Marillais and Saint-Florent-le-Vieil), Montrevault-sur-Èvre (only the territory of the delegated municialities of La Boissière-sur-Evre, La Chaussaire, Le Fief-Sauvin, Le Fuilet, Montrevault, Le Puiset-Doré, Saint-Pierre-Montlimart and Saint-Rémy-en-Mauges), Orée d’Anjou, Sèvremoine (only the territory of the delegated municialities of Montfaucon-Montigné and Saint-Germain-sur-Moine).

—	Department of Vendée: Cugand, Montaigu-Vendée (delegated municipalities of Montaigu and Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay only), Saint-Étienne-du-Bois, Saint-Philbert-de-Bouaine.

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The name of the registered designation of origin may be followed by the reference ‘sur lie’ for wines meeting the production conditions laid down for that reference in the specification.

The name of the registered designation of origin may be followed by the geographical designation ‘Val de Loire’, in accordance with the rules laid down in the specification.

The name of the controlled designation of origin may be followed by the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’, ‘Le Pallet’, ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Goulaine’, ‘Monnières - Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Mouzillon - Tillières’ for wines complying with the production conditions laid down for those names in the product specification.

The size of the letters of the reference ‘sur lie’ and the geographical name ‘Val de Loire’ may not be larger, in height, width or thickness, than the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.

For wines labelled ‘sur lie’ or bearing the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’ or ‘Le Pallet’, the vintage must also appear on the label.

The supplementary geographical names shall be included in the same visual field as the name of the controlled designation of origin. The dimensions of the characters that make them up are equal, in height or width or thickness, to those of the characters composing the name of the controlled designation of origin. »

Wines not eligible for a supplementary geographical name may specify a smaller geographical unit on their label, provided that:

it is a registered place name;

it appears on the harvest declaration.

The place name must be printed in letters no larger, in height, width or thickness, than half the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin. It must appear in the same visual field as the name of the designation of origin.

Link to the product specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-27ebf794-be90-4cf6-8774-84534674caec

(1) OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2.

25.9.2023

Official Journal of the European Union

C 337/17

Publication of an application for approval of a Union amendment to a product specification pursuant to Article 50(2), point (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 337/07)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within 3 months from the date of this publication.

Application for a union amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication originating in a Member State

(Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012)

‘Ser koryciński swojski’

EU No: PGI-PL-0835-AM02 – 28.4.2023

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name of product

‘Ser koryciński swojski’

2. Applicant group and legitimate interest

ZARZECCY Sp. z o.o., FOODTECH Zbigniew Rybak and SEROWAR PODLASKI Aneta Łukaszuk-Łapińska – the certified producers of ‘Ser koryciński swojski’

3. Member state to which the geographical area belongs

Poland

4. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

☐	Name of product

☒

Link

☐	Marketing restrictions

5. Type of amendment(s)

This is an amendment within the meaning of Article 53(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 which risks voiding the link referred to in Article 5(2)(b) for protected geographical indications.

Point 5 of the single document states that the specificity of ‘ser koryciński swojski’ stems from the fact that, among other things, it is made from whole unpasteurised milk which gives it its characteristic fresh milk aroma.

6. Amendment(s)

Link

Description

The amendment concerns the use of pasteurisation to prepare milk for the production of ‘ser koryciński swojski’. The possibility has been introduced for ‘ser koryciński swojski’ to also be produced from pasteurised milk. The use of low pasteurisation and a lactic acid starter culture is a change which will not affect the specificity of the product (including loss of the characteristic fresh milk aroma) or its link with the area. The cheese will continue to be produced in the same region, i.e. Korycin, meaning that there will be no significant change to the production method, other than the possibility of using low pasteurisation and adding a lactic acid starter culture.

The use of low pasteurisation and the addition of a lactic acid starter culture guarantees that the microflora found in raw milk are reproduced with an identical composition, while the risk of contamination of the raw material by pathogenic bacteria is eliminated, thereby resulting in a product with sensory characteristics in accordance with the product specification.

Summary of the reasons for which the amendment is required

Originally, ‘ser koryciński swojski’ was made from unpasteurised milk, as the pasteurisation process was unknown. Technological progress has made it possible to use pasteurised milk without losing the characteristics of the product (cheese) which are essentially attributable to its geographical origin within the meaning of Article 5(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. Consumers benefit from the proposed amendment as it increases product safety. Moreover, production of the cheese from inoculated pasteurised milk – rather than only raw milk – does not change the sensory or physico-chemical characteristics of ‘ser koryciński swojski’.

Findings from scientific research show that milk pasteurisation results in no adverse changes to the sensory characteristics or physico-chemical characteristics of the cheese, whether fresh, matured or ripened.

Food business operators producing dairy products must apply procedures ensuring that milk immediately prior to heat treatment has a bacterial count at 30 °C below 300 000/ml. This means there is very little scope for microbial growth between the milking and milk-processing stages. Moreover, during that time, the cold chain must be preserved, ensuring that milk is chilled in line with the applicable legislation. In accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, food business operators are responsible for satisfying the relevant hygiene requirements at all stages of production, processing and distribution under their control.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Ser koryciński swojski’

EU No: PGI-PL-0835-AM02 – 28.4.2023

PGI (X) PDO ( )

1. Name(s) [of pdo or pgi]

‘Ser koryciński swojski’

2. Member state

Poland

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

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

‘Ser koryciński swojski’ is a ripened cheese made from raw or pasteurised whole cow’s milk, to which rennet and table salt are added; where pasteurised whole cow’s milk is used, a lactic acid culture is also added. Spices and herbs may be added, as well as seeds, fruit, nuts, vegetables and mushrooms.

‘Ser koryciński swojski’ has a flattened spherical (geoidal) shape with an elliptical cross-section; it is up to 30 cm in diameter (depending on the size of the strainer used in its production and the quantity of cheese placed in it) and weighs 2,5-5 kg (depending on the strainer used and the length of the ripening period).

‘Ser koryciński swojski’ has plentiful small eyes of different sizes and shapes. The surface of the cheese is fluted.

There are three maturation periods for cheese sold under the name ‘ser koryciński swojski’:

‘ser koryciński swojski’ – świeży (fresh) is ripened for 2-4 days;

‘ser koryciński swojski’ – leżakowany (matured) is ripened and matured for 5-14 days;

‘ser koryciński swojski’ – dojrzały (ripe) is ripened and matured for more than 14 days.

The length of the maturation period does not alter the specific characteristics of ‘ser koryciński swojski’ referred to under point 5 of the single document.

Description of ‘ser koryciński swojski’ according to the length of the ripening period:

Group of characteristics or ingredients	Characteristic or ingredient	Fresh ‘ser koryciński swojski’	Matured ‘ser koryciński swojski’	Ripe ‘ser koryciński swojski’
Colouring	External colour	cream	straw-yellowish	yellowish or yellow
Colouring	Internal colour	cream	creamy-straw	straw-yellowish
Consistency	External consistency	same consistency externally as internally	slightly firm on the outside and soft inside	delicate yellow rind with a whitish bloom on the outside
Consistency	Internal texture	wet, very elastic, with evenly distributed small holes (about 1 mm)	moist, elastic, with evenly sized and evenly distributed holes (about 2 mm)	slightly moist, elastic, with evenly sized and evenly distributed holes
Organoleptic characteristics	Taste	predominantly mild and creamy, typically rubbery and squeaky when bitten	slightly salty, with a discernible nutty overtone	pronouncedly dry, rather salty in the outer layer and slightly less so towards the centre, slightly nutty taste
Organoleptic characteristics	Aroma	dominant aroma of fresh butter	slight aroma of dried cheese	aroma of dried cheese
Physico-chemical characteristics	Water	≤ 53 %	≤ 48 %	≤ 43 %
Physico-chemical characteristics	Fat	≤ 20 %	≤ 22 %	≤ 30 %

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The milk used to produce ‘ser koryciński swojski’ comes from cows which are pasture-grazed for at least 150 days a year. The animals are fed using traditional methods; meadow hay, cereal feeds (barley, rye, wheat and cereal blends) or hay silage form the basis of their feed in winter.

—	The basic raw materials are cow’s milk, rennet and table salt (about 3 g for every 10 l of milk), plus salt for rubbing onto the cheese after moulding; where pasteurised milk is used, a lactic acid culture is also added.

—	Optional raw materials – pepper, chilli, basil, dill, parsley, lovage, mint, black caraway, wild garlic, paprika, marjoram, caraway, oregano, savoury, garlic, chives, olives, mushrooms, seeds, vegetables, nuts, fruit,

The milk used in production is raw or pasteurised whole milk. No physical or chemical processing is permitted, except for pasteurisation and the filtering-out of macroscopic impurities.

The use of different spices merely serves to impart flavours and does not alter the characteristics of ‘ser koryciński swojski’.

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

—	Heating or pasteurisation of the milk and addition of the rennet and salt; where pasteurised milk is used, also the addition of a lactic acid starter culture,

—	renneting,

—	separation of the whey,

—	draining of the whey,

—

moulding,

—	rubbing with salt,

—

ripening.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

—

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

All producers of ‘ser koryciński swojski’ are required to use the common ‘ser koryciński swojski’ logo on their labels. The ‘ser koryciński swojski’ logo will be distributed via the Zrzeszenie Producentów Sera Korycińskiego (Association of Korycin Cheese Producers).

The rules on the distribution of the logo do not discriminate in any way against producers who are not members of the association.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Ser koryciński swojski’ is produced in three municipalities in Podlaskie province, Sokółka District: Korycin, Suchowola and Janów.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘ser koryciński swojski’ and the area is based on the specific characteristics defined in point 5.2, and on its reputation.

‘Ser koryciński swojski’ has a specific shape associated with the strainers in which it is made. These vessels also give the cheese its characteristic fluted surface. It is made from unpasteurised or pasteurised whole milk, which gives it its characteristic fresh milk aroma. Where pasteurised milk is used, the characteristic aroma of fresh milk is preserved by low pasteurisation and inoculating the raw material with a lactic acid starter culture produced from raw milk. The cheese is moist and elastic, with plentiful evenly sized and evenly distributed small eyes.

The specific characteristics of ‘ser koryciński swojski’ have evolved over the many years during which it has been produced, with the production method and the associated practical skills being passed from one generation to the next, as dairy technology and production manuals do not describe how to make this product, which is closely linked to the geographical area defined in point 4. The product enjoys a good reputation, as evidenced by the number of articles in the press and references on the internet and the number of awards it has received. ‘Ser koryciński swojski’ sells in reputable shops for up to 50 % more than the prices charged for other rennet cheeses. ‘Ser koryciński swojski’ is sold over the internet for exactly the same price as ‘oscypek’, which is a protected designation of origin.

The geographical area in which ‘ser koryciński swojski’ is produced is situated in the Białystok High Plain mesoregion, which is part of the North Podlachian Lowland macroregion, a moraine lakeland area characterised by marshy depressions amidst extensive plateaux. The area’s varied landscape was formed by repeated glacial action. The North Podlachian Lowland comprises several smaller components, namely: valleys, basins, plains and high plains, including the Białystok High Plain. High plains are of morainic origin and display very great morphological variety. The most commonly encountered landforms here are eroded moraine hills and kames which reach a height of 200 m above sea level in places.

This lowland has a climate that becomes markedly more continental towards the east (whereas maritime climatic influences prevail in western Poland). The area where ‘ser koryciński swojski’ is produced is situated in the southern part of north-eastern Poland, which is considered to be the coldest region in the country, apart from the mountains. The winters are long (averaging about 110 days), with the lowest temperatures in the country: average air temperatures in January are between - 5 and - 6 °C (the January average for Warsaw is about - 3,5 °C), and there is a fairly long-lasting snow cover. Summers last for about 90 days and are fairly warm, the average July temperature being about 18 °C. The transition periods are shorter than in the central part of the country. The average annual rainfall is about 650 mm. Most rainfall occurs in the April-September period. The timing of the rainfall is a favourable factor, as 70 % of all rainfall occurs during the growing season, which is beneficial for meadows and pastures. The frequency of the rainfall during the growing season is also favourable, as rainfall occurs on about 94 days. The growing season is short. Beginning a third of the way through April and finishing at the end of October, it lasts for about 200 days.

The region in which ‘ser koryciński swojski’ is produced does not have any heavy industry. The industrial plants operating here are involved in agri-foods – in particular milk – processing. Most of the land is used for farming or forested. Agricultural land, almost all of which is held by individual farms, accounts for a significant proportion of the area. Most of it is low-production-value and sparsely wooded farmland.

Podlaskie province, which includes the area defined in point 4, is geared to producing milk and milk products, as evidenced by the fact that it has the highest proportion of grassland in Poland, accounting for 35,4 % of the cultivated area. Pastures account for 13 % and meadows for 22,4 %. The province ranks second in the country in terms of head of cattle. It supplies the market with one in three litres of Polish-produced milk and one in five blocks of butter. Its milk producers produce an average of 33,3 tonnes of milk, compared with the national average of 16,2 tonnes. Its share of the national figure is increasing steadily.

It has traditionally been geared to producing milk and milk products because of the low level of industrialisation in the past and continuing low levels of investment, high unemployment and low wages. In the past, it was mainly raw milk that was sold, but many farms also made butter and ‘ser koryciński swojski’ for their own use or for sale. Cheese-making was in particular a way of making use of the milk produced on farms and diversifying diets. The specific skills of ‘ser koryciński swojski’ producers are demonstrated in particular by the use of whole cow’s milk to produce the cheese and by the turning of the product during ripening at various stages determined by the producers’ knowledge and experience.

Korycin cheese (ser koryciński) won first prize and the title ‘ Smak Roku ’ at the Polagra Farm trade fair in Poznań in 2004, a ‘ Perła ’ in the Our Culinary Heritage (Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo) competition, and the title ‘ Podlaska Marka Roku ’ in the taste category. The Korycin Cheese Festival (Święto sera korycińskiego) has been held every autumn since 2004. In 2005, ‘ser koryciński swojski’ was included on the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development’s national list of traditional products.

‘Ser koryciński swojski’ is increasingly well-known and sought-after, especially in northern and central Poland. It is promoted every year in Warsaw during the Podlasie in the Capital (Podlasie w stolicy) festival. References to the recognition and popularity with which Korycin cheese has been met regularly appear in the regional and national press: Gazeta Wyborcza (Białystok), 4-5 June 2005 – ‘ Podlasie w stolicy ’; Kurier Poranny, 4 July 2005 – ‘ Tłoczno i smacznie ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 12 September 2005 – ‘ Zrób sobie swojski ser ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 29 September 2005 – ‘ Święto sera po raz drugi ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 4 October 2005 – ‘ Gospodynie z Gminy Korycin twierdzą, że nie ma to jak…Swojskiego sera smak ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 29 November 2005 – ‘ Projekt dla sera ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 24 September 2007 – ‘ Magia Smaku ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 25 September 2007 – ‘ Pierwsza przydomowa serowarnia ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 23 October 2007 – ‘ Sery to jest przyszłość ’; Kurier Poranny, 17 October 2007 – ‘ Niektórzy wracają ’; Kurier Poranny, 19 January 2008 – ‘ Dobra marka To jest to! ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 17 March 2008 – ‘ Pierwszy Festiwal Kuchni Podlaskiej ’; GWAGRO, 19 May 2008 – ‘ Danie warte “Perły” ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 11 June 2008 – ‘ Podlasie w stolicy ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 19 June 2008 – ‘ Serowarnia po polsku ’; Gazeta Wyborcza Duży Format, 16 February 2009 ‘ Bambus w szynce ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 17 March 2009 – ‘ To były smaki ’; Gazeta Wyborcza (Białystok), 15 May 2009 – ‘ Wspólna dla wszystkich jest kaczka - mowa o potrawach przygotowanych na Międzynarodowy Festiwal Kuchni ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 9 June 2009 – ‘ Dobre smaki można promować ’; Gazeta Współczesna, 16 June 2009 – ‘ Regionalne specjały – próbujmy i kupujmy ’. An internet search for ‘ser koryciński’ yields 10 pages of hits; ‘ser koryciński swojski’ is also described in Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/wnioski-przekazane-komisji-europejskiej

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

		ISSN 1977-091X
Official Journal of the European Union		C 337

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 66 25 September 2023

Contents		page
	II Information
	INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2023/C 337/01	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11193 – BAOSTEEL / SAUDI ARAMCO / PIF / JV) ( 1 )	1
2023/C 337/02	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.11223 – PAI PARTNERS / INFRA GROUP) ( 1 )	2

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Parliament
2023/C 337/03	Communication of the European Parliament concerning the European Citizen's Prize – CIVI EUROPAEO PRAEMIUM	3
	European Commission
2023/C 337/04	Euro exchange rates – 22 September 2023	5

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2023/C 337/05	Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11297 – KKR / INFRACAPITAL / ZENOBE ENERGY) – Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	6
	OTHER ACTS
	European Commission
2023/C 337/06	Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to a product specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 17(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33	8
2023/C 337/07	Publication of an application for approval of a Union amendment to a product specification pursuant to Article 50(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs	17

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	(1) Text with EEA relevance.