Description
The Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi Geographical Indication is reserved exclusively for the liqueur obtained through the cold maceration in alcohol of lemon peels from the Limone Costa d’Amalfi PGI lemon (OJEU of 5 July 2001) belonging to the Sfusato Amalfitano ecotype of the variety Femminello Sfusato (Citrus limon L., Burm.).
Production Area
The production area of Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi GI or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi GI is within the territory of the municipalities along the Amalfi Coast, namely: Amalfi, Atrani, Cetara, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Maiori, Minori, Positano, Praiano, Ravello, Scala, Tramonti, Vietri sul Mare, in the Campania region. All the stages of the production process must take place within the above-mentioned geographical areas, with the exception of packageingand bottling.
Production Method
The lemons used to make Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi GI or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi GI are either hand or machine-peeled, taking care to remove - as far as possible - just the flavedo. The infusion is made by soaking the fresh, frozen or deep-frozen peels in ethyl alcohol, in food-grade containers, for no less than 36 hours. The infusion can then be filtered once or several times and be subjected to physical manipulations. The liqueur is obtained by mixing the correct quantities of water and sugar, or previously-made sugar syrup, into the Limone Costa d’Amalfi PGI peel and ethyl alcohol infusion, so as to obtain the final alcohol percentage. It is mandatory for each litre of liqueur to contain the quantity of peels taken from at least 250 g of whole lemons. The liqueur is produced, mixed and stored in tanks permitted for such use. The liqueur can be filtered once or several times and it is subject to natural clarification over time; being a natural product, it is possible for essential oils to be present on the neck of the bottle, which is a sign of its genuineness. Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi GI or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi GI can only be bottled in glass recipients of no more than 2 litres, excluding special packageingfor events/trade fairs where the product is not for sale.
Product Characteristics
The Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi GI or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi GI is obtained through the cold maceration in alcohol of lemon peels from the Limone Costa d’Amalfi PGI lemon belonging to the Sfusato Amalfitano ecotype. The alcohol content is no lower than 25% ABV, while the sugar concentration (total sugars expressed as invert sugar) is between 200 g/litre and 350 g/litre. The minimum weight ratio must be the same as the quantity of peels obtained from at least 250 g of the whole Limone Costa d’Amalfi PGI lemon) per litre of liqueur, which is guaranteed and listed among the ingredients on the label. The addition of additives, colourings, emulsifiers, stabilizers and flavourings is not permitted.
Link with the territory
The quality and reputation of Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi GI or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi GI have been well-known and documented with astounding continuity for at least two centuries.
Legislative information
The Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi 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. No. 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 Liquore di Limone della Costa d’Amalfi GI or Liquore di Limone Costa d’Amalfi GI is contained in the decree issued by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies on 8 June 2016 (published in the Italian Official Journal no. 139 of 16.06.2016).
