Description
The Kirsch Friulano or Kirschwasser Friulano Geographical Indication is reserved exclusively for cherry spirits obtained from Italian raw materials, and distilled in establishments located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Production Area
The production area of Kirsch Friulano GI or Kirschwasser Friulano GI is within the entire territory of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Production Method
The fruit spirit Kirsch Friulano GI or Kirschwasser Friulano GI is obtained through the distillation of cherries or cherry must, with or without the stone, either directly with water vapour or after water has been added to the alembic still. The batch distillation of the fermented cherries or cherry must has to be carried out at less than 86% ABV, so that the distilled product preserves the original aroma and taste of the raw materials. The obtained product can only be redistilled within this limit. During the production process of Kirsch Friulano GI or Kirschwasser Friulano GI, the addition of sugars is permitted up to a maximum of 20 g per litre, expressed as invert sugar.
Product Characteristics
The fruit spirit Kirsch Friulano GI or Kirschwasser Friulano GI is obtained exclusively through the alcoholic fermentation and distillation of fleshy cherries or cherry must, with or without the stone. It has a minimum alcohol content of 40% ABV. If the spirit is distilled with the stones, it has a maximum hydrogen cyanide content of 7 g/hectolitre of absolute alcohol. The addition of ethyl alcohol (pure or diluted) is not permitted and it is not aromatised. Kirsch Friulano GI or Kirschwasser Friulano GI can be aged in wooden recipients, subjected to rigorous controls, in establishments located within the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Link with the territory
The oldest references to the production of cherry spirit date back to the time of the Republic of Venice, and are found in documents in the Carnian municipality of Arta (formerly Arta Terme). In the early 20th century, there were 12 licensed distillers in the municipality of Arta Terme. Since then, this fruit spirit has spread throughout Friuli, alongside the cultivation of cherry trees and the industrialisation of cherry processing (in the 1920s and 30s), with the distillation and production methods remaining unchanged (cisterns and equipment for grinding and storing the fermenting pulp, copper distillation stills, fiduciary warehouses, and bottling in glass).
Legislative information
The Kirsch Friulano or Kirschwasser Friulano Geographical Indication is registered in Annex III of Regulation (EC) No. 110/2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and protection of Geographical Indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1576/89 (published in the OJEU L. 39 of 13.02.2008), as modified by EC Reg. 1067/2016 and Reg. 674/2019. Notwithstanding the entry into force of the new EU Reg. 787/2019, which repeals Reg. 110/2008 and – as far as GIs are concerned – has been applied since 8 June 2019, Annex III will continue to apply until the creation of the GI Register referred to in art. 33 of the new regulation. Generally, article 24, paragraph 1 of Regulation 787/2019 states that for every single Geographical Indication a technical file containing the requirements set out in the same article must be presented to the European Commission. The technical file for Kirsch Friulano GI or Kirschwasser Friulano GI is contained in the decree issued by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies on 31 July 2014 (published in the Italian Official Journal no. 185 of 11.08.2014).
