1.7.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 217/21 OTHER ACTS EUROPEAN COMMISSION 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 (2020/C 217/10) This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1). COMMUNICATION OF STANDARD AMENDMENT MODIFYING THE SINGLE DOCUMENT ‘ALELLA’ PDO-ES-A1423-AM04 Date of communication: 3.4.2020 DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT 1. Enlargement of the geographical area of the do The amendment concerns extending the demarcated area to include the municipality of Santa Coloma de Gramenet, amending point 6 of the product specification and point 1.6 of the Single Document. It is therefore considered a standard amendment as it does not affect the name of the designation of origin, nor does it change the wine categories or affect the link to the area, and it is not a restriction on trade. Reasons: The municipality of Santa Coloma de Gramenet has submitted a request for its territory to be included in the scope of the ‘Alella’ PDO and provided the required technical documentation. The report submitted demonstrates that the soil, climate and environmental conditions in this municipality are similar to the those in the current demarcated area for the ‘Alella’ PDO. This is because they are part of the same geomorphological system comprising Sierra de la Marina, San Mateo, Corredor and Montnegre, between the Besós and Tordera rivers, which has a granite bedrock that decomposes to form the ‘sauló’ soil typical of the area. Santa Coloma de Gramenet is therefore part of the continuous natural territory for the ‘Alella’ PDO. While traditional wine-growing had been in decline in this municipality, there has been something of a revival in recent years. The highlight is a winegrowing heritage recovery project at Vinya d’en Sabater launched in 2015. One example of this in growing interest is the agreement between the University of Barcelona, INCAVI (Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine) and the Council of Santa Coloma de Gramenet – with the support of ‘Alella’ PDO – to study the suitability of four local vine varieties for environmentally friendly growing techniques. The municipality and the professionals behind this project that are seeking the protection of the ‘Alella’ PDO would like to be able to market the product as soon as possible, as well as increase the number of plots in production and the number of wineries. Furthermore, the 10th additional provision of Law 2/2020 of 5 March 2020 on winegrowing and winemaking, under the heading on protection of peri-urban areas (such as the municipality of Santa Coloma de Gramenet), sets out the commitment of the Catalan Public Administration to setting up a special project to protect peri-urban wine production areas in order to avoid the pressures of urbanisation and safeguard the continuity of the winegrowing tradition. (1) OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2. C 217/22 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 1.7.2020 SINGLE DOCUMENT 1. Name of the product Alella 2. Geographical indication type PDO – Protected Designation of Origin 3. Categories of grapevine products 1. Wine 3. Liqueur wine 5. Quality sparkling wine 8. Semi-sparkling wine 4. Description of the wine(s) White wine and rosé wine Made from the varieties listed in section 6 of the specification; white varieties only for the white wines, and all varieties for the rosés. Fractions of must obtained by inadequate pressure may not, in any event, be used in the production of protected wines. * The actual volatile acidity of crianza wines must not exceed 0,80 g/l. * The maximum sulphur content is 250 mg/l when there is 5 g/l or more of sugar. General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 10,5 Minimum total acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 8,3 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 200 Red wine Produced from the red grape varieties listed in section 6 of this specification. Fractions of must obtained by inadequate pressure may not, in any event, be used in the production of protected wines. * The actual volatile acidity limit may increase by 0,06 gr/l for each degree of alcohol above 11 % vol. and year of ageing, up to a maximum of 0,9 gr/l. * The maximum sulphur content is 200 mg/l when there is 5 g/l or more of sugar. General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 11,5 Minimum total acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 11,7 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 150 1.7.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 217/23 Liqueur wine Rancio: made from the Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo or Garnacha Negra varieties, produced from white wines with a minimum sugar content of 14 °Bx using oxidative ageing in oak containers. The ‘sol y serena’ method (where the wine is exposed to the sun during the day and the cooler temperatures at night) is used for oxidative ageing and the wine is kept in oak barrels for at least one year. Mistelle: made from all white grape varieties. It is produced by separating the free-run must and then immediately filtering the wine. Vinous alcohol is then added and it is stirred. Natural sweet wine: made from must with a high sugar content – more than 250 g/l – and partially fermented. * The maximum sulphur content is 200 mg/l when there is 5 g/l or more of sugar. General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 15 Minimum total acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 150 Quality sparkling wine Produced from authorised varieties, made according to the traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle, minimum excess pressure of 3,5 bars and a nine-month ageing period from the date of tirage until it is disgorged. General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 10,8 Minimum total acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) Semi-sparkling wine Produced from all the red and white varieties. Part of the carbonation from the wine’s own fermentation is kept during the production process. * The maximum sulphur content is 250 mg/l when the white or rosé wine has 5 g/l or more of sugar. In the case of red wine, the limits are 150 and 200 respectively. * Excess pressure at 20 °C due to dissolved endogenous carbon dioxide of between 1 and 2,5 bars. General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 10,5 Minimum total acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 200 C 217/24 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 1.7.2020 5. Wine-making practices a. Essential oenological practices Cultivation method The vine must be trained as follows so as to ensure the best quality and aromatic richness of the wines: a) Traditionally using goblet training with vines with two buds and one blind bud. b) Trellis training with division of the vegetation. Irrigation must be authorised and it may only be carried out to improve the quality of the grape, its alcoholic strength, and its acidity. The vine plots may be re-balanced for reasons of moisture, depending both on the water conditions of the soil and the ecological conditions of the vine. Essential oenological practice The grapes must be harvested with great care, and only healthy grapes that are ripe enough to yield wines with a minimum natural alcoholic strength equal to or greater than 9,5 % vol. may be used to produce wines covered by the PDO. The harvested grapes must be transported as quickly as possible, using methods that guarantee that their quality is preserved. b. Maximum yields White grape varieties 12 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare White grape varieties 78 hectolitres per hectare Red grape varieties 10 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare Red grape varieties 60 hectolitres per hectare 6. Demarcated geographical area — Alella — Arenys de Mar — Arenys de Munt — Argentona — Badalona — Cabrera de Mar — Cabrils — Calella — El Masnou — Granollers — La Roca del Vallès — Llinars del Vallès — Montgat — Montornès del Vallès — Martorelles — Mataró — Òrrius — Premià de Dalt 1.7.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 217/25 — Premià de Mar — Sant Cebrià de Vallalta — Sant Fost de Campsentelles — Sant Iscle de Villalta — Sant Pol de Mar — Santa Coloma de Gramenet — Santa Maria de Martorelles — Teià — Tiana — Vilanova del Vallès — Vilassar de Dalt — Vilassar de Mar — Vallromanes 7. Main wine grapes variety(ies) GARNACHA TINTA SYRAH XARELLO – PANSA BLANCA 8. Description of the link(s) ‘Wine’ The local soil type is a granite subsoil with traces from the sea. The surface layer is formed by small grains. The soil drains well and this means the vines have to put down deep roots to find water and the various nutrients that the local soil provides. In fact this circumstance causes it slight ‘stress’, which, when well-controlled, helps to regulate the production of grapes per vine.