Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea del 9/2/2023 - Comunicaciones e Informaciones
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Source: Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea - Comunicaciones e Informaciones
C 49/72
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
9.2.2023
The traditional know-how of the producers is also essential in the production of Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco, because it influences when the apples are harvested varying degrees of ripeness in the raw material and the blending of certain apple varieties. The production system, crushing, pressing, micro-organisms involved in the fermentation process, ageing on lees and blending of different tanks containing different apple varieties are all of the utmost importance in defining the final profile that is characteristic of Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco.
As a result of the relief in the Basque Country, the plantations are small in size and scattered throughout the defined geographical area. This has also led to the emergence of new apple varieties that have been cultivated in different orchards over the centuries. The combination of the mild, wet climate and the clayey soils results in profiles with marked acidity and polyphenols in the apples, aspects that are crucial for Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco.
The expertise of the producers is indispensable for the production method, the characteristics of the product unfiltered, with no added sugar or water and containing only naturally occurring carbon dioxide, and the bearing regime of the apple trees. The ability to select the right varieties from those that are available and determine when they are ripe, in order to achieve a certain pH and polyphenol content, is decisive for the product, because these aspects the ensure stability and shelf life of a product that can neither be filtered nor stabilised. Moreover, the amount of nitrogen in the apples, combined with the yeasts available, has an impact on both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation of the product. These aspects have direct repercussions for the total fermentation of the sugars and the creation of the naturally occurring CO2 in the product, both of which are decisive factors in ensuring quality and an appropriate shelf life.
It is therefore clear that the characteristics of the demarcated area have determined the characteristics of the apples used to make Euskal Sagardoa / Sidra del País Vasco. These include the physical and chemical properties that the apples contribute to this cider, setting it apart from other similar natural ciders, as confirmed by various studies by the University of the Basque Country Analysis of different cider apple varieties during ripening, using nuclear magnetic spectroscopy. July 2002, p.2. Gloria L. del Campo Martínez et al which specify that the chemical composition of the apples is dependent on the variety, climate, degree of ripeness and growing practices used.
Reference to product specification Article 61, second subparagraph, of this Regulation Product specification: https euskalsagardoa.eus/pliego-de-condiciones/?lang=es Website for access to bibliographical references https euskalsagardoa.eus/bibliografia-de-interes/?lang=es
