Balsamic vinegar of Modena is a variety of balsamic vinegar and a PGI condiment from Italy. It is produced according to various recipes. The PGI production regulations leave plenty of leeway, allowing the use of grape must (even if it is not from the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia) in percentages between 20 and 90% and wine vinegar between 10 and 80%. The use of caramel is allowed, up to 2%. Reading the tag can provide useful information on the ingredients used and the processing methods. Withdrawal and refilling, as used in making Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, are not used; the ingredients, once mixed, must be kept in wood containers for a duration of at least 60 days. If the product is kept there for 3 years or more it is labeled "invecchiato" (aged). The Balsamic vinegar of Modena gained the PGI label on 3 July 2009. [1] The requirements for the much more expensive PDO Traditional Balsamic Vinegar are different and more restrictive; it must contain only grape must and be aged for at least 12 years.
Upon submission of the application by Italy, Germany and Greece raised the objection that the protection of the expression "balsamic vinegar" would have strongly damaged their national production, that has been legalized for five years. They emphasized that the words "vinegar" and "balsamic", as generic terms, were not amenable to protection. They made known that they would have voted for the PGI label only in exchange for recognition of their right to use words "balsamic vinegar" by Italy. Also, France opposed, especially for the fact that the denomination "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" wouldn't have had a reputation distinct from that of the '"Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena", which would mislead the consumer.
After three years of disputes, on 3 July 2009, the European Commission put the balsamic vinegar of Modena in the register of protected geographical indications, with unanimous vote – apart from the "technical" abstention of France". [2] Right after the protection of the EU in 2009, Greece tried to use a technical norm of the EU – unaware of the geographical protection procedures – to obtain recognition of the definition of "greek balsamic vinegar", [3] confirming the attractiveness of a market which at the time was worth around 400 million Euros per year.
In 1993 the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena was born, at the initiative of the largest and oldest manufacturers, for the valorization of the product, its defense, and diffusion worldwide. In 1998 the name was changed to Consorzio Aceto Balsamico di Modena, while keeping the statute unchanged. The consortium mark has been used since January 1999.
The Consorzio Filiera Aceto Balsamico di Modena name adopted in 2010 from the Consorzio Produzione Certificata Aceto Balsamico di Modena brought together some of the biggest producers.
In 2013 those two Consortia joined to form the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena. [4]
Lastly, between the enforcement and promotion bodies, there's the Comitato Produttori Indipendenti Aceto Balsamico di Modena, that together with the other two consortia was the promoter of the recognition request of the PGI by the European Union.
The independent certification body is directly nominated by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and it has the task of verifying compliance with the del Disciplinary of Production throughout the production process and the validity of the organoleptic properties of the Balsamic Vinegar before it's put on the market. Each lot intended for bottling (reserved only to authorized and certified centers) must meet the respect of the Disciplinary of Production.
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to ethanol using yeast, and ethanol to acetic acid using acetic acid bacteria. Many types of vinegar are made, depending on source materials. The product is now mainly used in the culinary arts as a flavorful, acidic cooking ingredient, or in pickling. Various types are used as condiments or garnishes, including balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar.
Modena is a city and comune (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.
Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as Amarone, is an Italian DOCG denomination of typically rich dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina, Rondinella (5–30%) and other approved red grape varieties.
Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect names of agricultural products and foodstuffs. Products registered under one of the three schemes may be marked with the logo for that scheme to help identify those products. The schemes are based on the legal framework provided by the EU Regulation No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs. This regulation applies within the EU as well as in Northern Ireland. Protection of the registered products is gradually expanded internationally via bilateral agreements between the EU and non-EU countries. It ensures that only products genuinely originating in that region are allowed to be identified as such in commerce. The legislation first came into force in 1992. The purpose of the law is to protect the reputation of the regional foods, promote rural and agricultural activity, help producers obtain a premium price for their authentic products, and eliminate the unfair competition and misleading of consumers by non-genuine products, which may be of inferior quality or of different flavour. Critics argue that many of the names, sought for protection by the EU, have become commonplace in trade and should not be protected.
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
In Spain, the denominación de origen is part of a regulatory geographical indication system used primarily for foodstuffs such as cheeses, condiments, honey, and meats, among others. In wines, it parallels the hierarchical systems of France (1935) and Italy (1963), although Rioja (1925) and Jerez (1933) preceded the full system. In foods, it performs a similar role, regulation of quality and geographical origin of products from Spain. There are five other designated categories solely for wine and a further three specifically covering food and condiments, all recognised by the European Union (EU). In Catalonia, two further categories – labelled A and Q – cover traditional Catalan artisan food products, but were not recognised by the EU as of 2007. In recent decades, the concept of the denominación de origen has been adopted by other countries, primarily in Latin America. In 2016, the use of the Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines was registered as a European Union Protected Designations of Origin/Denominación de Origen Protegida (PDO/DOP), but the traditional Portuguese term of DO can still be used legally on labels.
Balsamic vinegar is a dark, concentrated, intensely flavoured vinegar originating in Modena, Italy, made wholly or partially from grape must: freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds and stems.
Bresaola is air-dried, salted beef that has been aged two or three months until it becomes hard and turns a dark red, almost purple color. It is made from top (inside) round, and it is lean and tender, with a sweet, musty smell. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region.
Prosecco is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco which is in the province of Trieste, Italy. It is made from the Prosecco grape but denomination rules allow up to 15% of the wine to be other permitted varieties. Prosecco is almost always made in sparkling or semi-sparkling style, but a still wine is also permitted. Within the larger designation are two small DOCG areas, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco in the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and Asolo Prosecco around the nearby town of Asolo. Prosecco Superiore is always spumante and comes only from these DOCG areas.
Burrata is an Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and clotted cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is typical of Puglia.
In France, the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the terroir – and using recognized and traditional know-how. The specificity of an AOC product is determined by the combination of a physical and biological environment with established production techniques transmitted within a human community that, together, give the product its distinctive qualities. These crucial technical and geographic factors are set forth in standards for each product, including wines, cheeses and meats. Other countries and the European Union have similar labeling systems. The European Union's protected designation of origin system has harmonized the protection of all geographical indications and their registration. When labelling wine however, producers may still use recognized traditional terms like AOC, and are not required to display the PDO and PGI logos or terms, mostly for aesthetic purposes.
Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of 702,000 hectares under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for 19 per cent of global production, ahead of France and Spain. Italian wine is both exported around the world and popular domestically among Italians, who consume an average of 42 litres per capita, ranking fifth in world wine consumption.
Sherry vinegar is a gourmet wine vinegar made from sherry. It is produced in the Spanish province of Cádiz and inside the triangular area between the city of Jerez de la Frontera and towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, known as the "sherry triangle".
Vincotto is a dark, sweet, thick paste produced in rural areas of Italy. It is made by the slow cooking and reduction over many hours of non-fermented grape must until it has been reduced to about one-fifth of its original volume and the sugars present have caramelized. It can be made from a number of varieties of local red wine grapes, including Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera, and before the grapes are picked they are allowed to wither naturally on the vine for about thirty days. In Roman times it was known as sapa in Latin and epsima in Greek, the same names that are often used for it in Italy and Cyprus, respectively, today.
Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco is a sweet, sparkling, red or rosé DOC dessert wine produced in the Italian province of Asti from the Malvasia di Schierano grape variety with the optional addition of up to 15% Freisa.
Traditional balsamic vinegar is a type of balsamic vinegar produced in Modena and the wider Emilia Romagna region of Italy. Unlike inexpensive "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" (BVM), Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (TBV) is produced from cooked grape must, aged at least 12 years, and protected under the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system, fetching higher prices. Although the names are similar, TBV and the inexpensive imitation BVM are very different.
The Siracusa lemon is the fruit of the cultivar "femminello" and its clones, corresponding to the botanical species Citrus x limon L. Burm. The femminello cultivar from Siracusa is the most common variety of lemon in Italy, and produces three main flowerings: the primofiore, the bianchetto and the verdello. The Disciplinary regulations of the Siracusa Lemon (PGI) forbids the use of waxes and/or fungicides in post-harvesting, and therefore the fruit is edible in all its parts.
The Cioccolato di Modica is an Italian P.G.I. specialty chocolate, typical of the municipality of Modica in Sicily, characterized by an ancient and original recipe using manual grinding which gives the chocolate a peculiar grainy texture and aromatic flavor. As Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale, it is a specialty officially recognized by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies. Modica chocolate is made “cold” according to a traditional recipe and is not conched.
Vialone Nano is an Italian semifino (medium-grain) rice variety. It is typical of the flat, rice-growing areas of the southern Provincia di Verona, in Veneto.
Vialone Nano is a cultivar of the Japonica group of varieties of Oryza sativa.
Uva di Puglia PGI is a variety of grape grown in the southern Italian region of Apulia (Puglia).
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