Disciplinary for the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar DOP

Disciplinary for the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar DOP. To help the consumers to understand the importance of the regulation behind our food excellence, we decided to provide our readers with the entire document regulating the production and the designation of the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP.

This is not an official translation and we decline any responsability for any mistake you may find. The official document is, in fact, in Italian.

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND FORESTRY POLICIES

ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE DI MODENA
Denominazione Origine Protetta
Disciplinare di Produzione

Provision of the 15th of May 200o

Disciplinary for the production of the Protected Designation of Origin <<Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena>>

General Director for the national agricultural and agroindustrial policies

Having regard of the regulation n. 2081/92 of the Council on the 14th of July 1992, concerning the protection of the geographical indication and the protected designation of origin of the agricultural and food products;

Having regard of the regulation n. 813/2000 of the Council on the 17th of April 2000 concerning the registration of the protected designation of origine <<Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena>>, followings the Article 17 of the aforementioned regulation;

Deemed that there’s the need to publish in the Gazzetta Ufficiale of the Italian Republic the disciplinary for the production and he summary of the protected designation origin <<Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena>> to ensure that the dispositions contained in the aforementioned documents, are accesible for information erga-omnes, in all the national territory;

Providing:

The publishing of the annexes disciplinary for the production and the summary of the protected designation origin <<Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena>>, registered with the regulation 813/2000 of the Council on the 17th of April 2000.

The producers wishing to place on the market <<l’Aceto basamico tradizionale di Modena>> can use, during the presentation and the designation of the product, the mention of <<protected designation origin>>, in conformity to the Article 8 of the regulation n. 2018/92 and are abided by the conditions provided by the current regulation.

ART. 1

Denomination

The protected designation of origin <<Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena>> is reserved to the product that responds to the conditions and to the requirements determined by this disciplinary of production.

ART. 2

Ampelographical base

The traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena must be obtained by the musts coming from the grapes coming from the followings vineyards:

Lambrusco (every variety)
Sauvignon, Sgabvetta
Ancellotta, Trebbiano (every variety)
Berzemino, Occhio di Gatta

However, the product can be obtained by the grapes coming from the vineyard D.O.C. (Controlled origin denomination) of the Province of Modena.

ART. 3

Production area

The grapes intended for the production of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, shall be produced in the Province of Modena.

ART. 4

Characteristics of raw material

The grapes intended for the production of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, shall ensure to the must a title of at least 15° of standard sugar content and the production of specialized vineyard shall not outweight 160 quintals per ectars.

The maximum yeld of grape in must destined to the concentration shall not exceed 70%. The surplus shall be destined exclusively to the acidification.

ART. 5

Method of processing

Fresh musts destined to the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena can be decanted and refrigerated, as long as the watery part doesn’t freeze. It is strictly forbidden the usage of must with any kind of additive.

The musts destined to the production of protected denomination of origin shall be cooked in open jars. The must shall be cooked on direct flame at a temperature of 80° for at least 30 minutes.

The cooking, aging and bottling process shall occure in the Province of Modena.

For the production of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, cooked must goes through sugary and acetic fermentation in specific places. These places, known as vinegar cellars, shall respond to specific environmental and thermal necessities, in order to permit a proper aging, according to the traditional methodologies.

Sugary and acetic fermantation is ideal after a proper amount of time, in any case not less than 12 years, abiding the traditional procedures and without adding any kind of additive, except an eventual graft of specific bacterial colonies known as <<mother>>.

The operations of refinement and aging of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena occure through extravasation of the cooked must into smaller barrels, or jars, of various types of wood, which shall be numbered and marked.

It is strictly forbidden the adding of any additive.

Must, or product intended to produce protected origin denomination balsamic vinegar, that is commercialized outside the Province of Modena will automatically lose the denomination.

The product that, according to the producer, responds to the minimum characteristics enumerated in this disciplinary will be tested.

ART. 6

Characteristics

The traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena responds to the following characteristics:

Colour: glossy, intense dark brown;
Density: fluid and syrupy;
Scent: delicate “bouquet”, fragrant, complex but well amalgamated, pungent and persistent, with an evident and harmonious acidity;
Taste: also the taste has an evident acidity obtained also by the different barrels of woods in which it ages;
Total acidity: no less than 4.5°
Density at a temperature of 20°: not less than 1,240

The assessment of the organoleptic characteristics of the designation shall be done, upon producers’ demand, on each batch of product before being commercialized.

ART. 7

Analytical tests and bottling

Passing the analytical test is the mandatory condition to commercialize the product with the designation provided in Article 1.

Bottling of the product occurs in the Province of Modena.

The bottles, in which the tradtional balsamic vinegar of Modena is stored, shall be unique in shape, in order to ensure the preserving of the quality and the prestige of the product, and shall respond to these technical characteristics:

Shape: spherical with rectangular base and made of solid glass
Composition: white coloured glass
Capacity: 10, 20 and 40 cl.

After the bottling, traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena shall be marked with a numbered seal that cannot be reused and closed in such a way that the bottle cannot be opened without breaking the seal.

ART. 8

Designation and presentation

The designation <<Traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena>> shall be made with a clear and indelible font. The writing shall be big enough to be distincted by the other elements on the label.

Designation of the protected origin denomination, according to Article 1, shall be indicated in full and with a dimension of at least the 3/4 of the one used for the designation.

On the label may also be written, in the language of the country of selling, the acronym D.O.P.

No other word can be added to the denomination, including the following ones: extra, fine, chosen, selected, superior of classic.

The word “tradition” may be repeated on the label in the same field where the denomination is written.

It is strictly forbidden to indicate the year of production; it is permitted the designation <<extra-old>> for the product aged more than 25 years.

Other indications to the consumer about the elaboration of the product, or the gastronomic collocation, shall be written on a separated label.

The regulations about labeling written on this article are not a substitute of the one provided by the European Community or the Italian Law, in terms of labeling food products.

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Disciplinary for the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

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