GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GI) TAGS OF ITALY

Italy, officially known as the ‘Italian Republic’, is a country located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, in Southern Europe, and is also often considered a part of Western Europe. Italy shares its land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino; and is a country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and several islands surrounding it. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural, and diplomatic affairs; and is a global center of art, music, literature, philosophy, science and technology, and fashion, and has greatly influenced and contributed to diverse fields including cinema, cuisine, sports, jurisprudence, banking and business. As a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy has the world’s largest number of World Heritage Sites, and is the fifth-most visited country. Till date, Italy has received 5 Geographical Indication (GI) Tags, out of which 2 are food stuffs (namely Prosciutto di Parma and Asiago) while rest are manufactured products (namely Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosecco and Grana Padano).

Prosecco is a manufactured product, whose application for a GI tag was filed by Consorzio Di Tutela Della Denominazione Di Origine Controllate Prosecco on 12^th November, 2014 and the product was certified on 10^th November, 2016. The Application Details of ‘Prosecco’ are mentioned below-

Application Details

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling white wine, generally a dry or extra dry wine. The Prosecco production area is located in northeast Italy, more precisely in the territories of 5 Veneto provinces (namely Treviso, Venice, Vilenza, Padua, Belluno) and 4 provinces in Friuli Venezia Giulia (namely Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste and Udine), one of the most stunning areas in the Italian peninsula. The wine is normally made from Glera (the grape formerly known itself, as ‘Prosecco’), a native variety from northeast Italy known since Roman times. Glera is a white grape variety. Its shoots are hazelnut brown and it produces large, long bunches of golden yellow grapes. The shoots are trained to grow vertically, thinned out when in excess, trimmed and tied back to create a microclimate which encourages the formation of aromatic substances in the grapes. The following varieties are traditionally used with Glera up to a maximum of 15% of the total: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero, in the white winemaking process.

Although the name is derived from that of the Italian village of Prosecco near Trieste, where the grape may have originated, Doc Prosecco is produced in the regions of Veneto and Fricili Venezia Giulia, traditionally mainly around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso. The land in this relatively large territory is very diverse but the climate on the whole is mild: the area is protected by the Alps to the north and caressed by the warm breezes which come off the Adriatic Sea to the east. These breezes help maintain a mild climate in summer and bring the necessary rainfall which helps the vines grow properly. At the end of the summer, the area is subject to dramatic differences in day time and night time temperatures which are instrumental in developing aromatic substances in the grapes as they ripen. The soil is alluvial in origin and is predominantly clayey-loamy with an abundance of minerals and microelements and is the perfect terrain for growing grapes for sparkling and semi-sparkling wines.

Grana Padano is also a manufactured product, whose application for a GI tag was filed by Consorzio per la Tutela Del Formaggio Grana Padano on 28^th November 2011, and the product was certified on 7^th August, 2018. The Application Details of ‘Grana Padano’ are mentioned below-

Application Details

‘Grana Padano’ is a cheese produced in Northern Italy from fresh cow’s milk, partially skimmed by allowing the cream to rise naturally. It is a hard cheese, slow to mature and perfect to be eaten pure or for grating and used in recipes. The production area consists of the territory of the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Torino, Verbania, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Camo, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova on the left bank of the Po river, Milano, Monza, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese, Trento, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Venezia, Verona, Vicenza, Bologna to the right of the Reno, Ferrara, Forli Cesena, Piacenza, Ravenna and Ramini, as well as the following municipalities of the province of Bolzano namely Anterivo, Lauregno, Proves, Senale-San Felice and Trodena.

The natural factors are connected with the climatic conditions of the production area, which lead to abundant production and high quality fodder for dairy cows. As for the human factors, the intrinsic characteristics of the cheese have remained largely unchanged over time, due to the use of established techniques and the historical presence of highly specialized labor.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a manufactured product, whose application for GI tag was filed by Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano on 28^th November 2011, and the product was certified on 23^rd May, 2016. The Application Details of ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ are mentioned below-

Application Details

Parmigiano Reggiano is a cheese produced in the geographical area comprising the territories of the Provinces of Bologna to the left of the Reno River, Mantua to the right of the River Po, Modena Parma, and Reggio Emilia (Italy). Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk, partially skimmed by natural surface skimming, obtained from cooked paste, with a slow maturation. The milk must not undergo any heat treatment and must come from cows fed primarily on fodder obtained in the area of origin. It must be matured for at least 12 months. Parmigiano Reggiano can be sold at the market as a whole cheese, in portions or grated.

The specific characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese are the structure of the body of the cheese, fine grained and flaky, the fragrant aroma and delicate taste, which is flavorsome without being pungent, and its high level of solubility and digestibility. The minimum 12 month maturing period, carried out within the geographical area defined by virtue of its specific climatic conditions is a necessary phase in order to ensure that the product obtained from the processing of the milk can acquire through particular enzyme processes, the characteristics proper to a ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ cheese.

Asiago is a food stuff, whose application for GI tag was filed by CONSORZIO PER LA TUTELA DEL FORMAGGIO ASIAGO on 28^th November 2011, and the product was certified on 10^th November, 2016. The Application Details of ‘Asiago’ are mentioned below-

Application Details

 Asiago is a cheese produced in the entire territory of the Italian province of Vicenza and of the autonomous province of Trento and neighboring communes in the province of Padua and Treviso which form a single area. In the process of production of cheese, cow’s milk is separated into two types: half-fat cheese made from semi-skimmed milk, described as “light”, medium mature, cylindrical in shape with a low base; and full-fat cheese made from whole milk, described as “pressed”, mild, cylindrical in shape and with a straight base. The curds, obtained from whole milk or semi-skimmed milk are suitably cut and semi-cooked. Only in the “pressed” type are the curds pressed. Then salt is added and maturing commences.

As for natural factors, the territory defined enjoys largely homogeneous climatic and soil conditions which affect the fodder used to feed the dairy cows. As for human involvement, it is pointed out that due to migration of the local population because of events which occurred during the First World War, the cheese which originated on the Asiago plateau spread to the adjacent foothill areas.

Prosciutto di Parma is a food stuff, whose application for GI tag was filed by Consorzio Del Prosciutto di Parma via Marco dell on 26^th March 2009 and the product was certified on 27^th January 2011. The Application Details of “Prosciutto di Parma” are mentioned below-

Application Details

The designation of origin of Prosciutto di Parma also referred as “Parma Ham” is exclusively reserved for ham that is branded in a permanently identifiable way and obtained from the fresh legs of pigs that are born, bred and slaughtered. Its fine texture, smooth silky flavor and versatility define its unmatchable quality. The secret recipe behind the success of Parma Ham is the climate, soil, air, people, nature and tradition of the region. Historically, the production of Parma Ham goes back to early Roman times. Since then, production methods have hardly changed down the generations. Today, genuine Parma Ham bears the coveted PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) status, recognized globally, and protected by the well-regulated consortium of Parma Ham in regards to quality, purity and full compliance with tradition.

The distinctive features of Parma Ham are as follows-

1. Curved exterior: without distal part (trotter), devoid of external blemishes likely to impair the product’s image, with exposure of the muscular part above the head of the femur (best end) limited to 6cms (short trimmings);
2. Weight: as a rule, between 8 and 10 kgs but not less than 7;
3. Color when sliced: uniformly ranging between pink to red, interspersed with pure white in the fatty parts;
4. Aroma and flavor: mild and delicate flavor, slightly salty with a fragrant and distinctive flavor;
5. Satisfies predetermined analytical parameters

GI Tags of Italy are-

Food Stuff:

1. Prosciutto Di Parma [here]
2. Asiago [here]

Manufactured Products:

1. Parmigiano Reggiano [here]
2. Prosecco [here]
3. Grana Padano [here]