Denominación de Origen
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- See also: Protected designation of origin
Denominación de Origen (Designation of Origin - DO) is part of a regulatory classification system primarily for Spanish wines (similar to the French appellations) but also for other foodstuffs like honey, meats and condiments. In wines it parallels the hierarchical system of France (1935) and Italy (1963) although Rioja (1925) and Sherry (1933) preceded the full system. In foods it performs a similar role, namely regulation of quality and geographical origin among Spain's finest producers.
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[edit] Definition
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA - Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación) regulates the quality of Spanish foodstuffs via a labelling system which establishes, among other things, a Denominación de Origen for higher quality produce. A semi-autonomous governing body exists for each region and for each food type, comprised of skilled, impartial members who investigate the quality, ingredients and production process of each product, ensuring they attain specific quality levels. Normally based in the largest population centre of a given region, they are also responsible for enforcing the geographical limits of the production region. Products labelled Denominación de Origen, apart from being of superior quality, are expected to carry specific characteristics of geographical region and no product outside of that region is permitted to bear the name.[1]
[edit] Product types
Denominaciónes de Origen status can be applied to a wide range of foods and condiments, specifically:
| * Olive oil | * Rice | * Fresh meat | * Distilled alcoholic drinks |
| * Condiments and spices | * Prepared meats and sausages | * Fruit | * Cured ham |
| * Vegetables | * Honey | * Fish, molluscs and crustaceans | * Bread, cakes and pastries |
| * Cheese and butter | * Cider | * VCPRD wines | * Vinos de la Tierra |
The following list of better-known Denominaciónes de Origen is by no means exhaustive:
[edit] Olive oil
The Denominaciónes de Origen for olive oil include:
- Aceite Monterrubio - from Badajoz in Extremadura, mostly Cornezuelo and Picual varieties.
- Baena - Hojiblanca, Picual and Lechín varieties from the south-east of the province of Cordoba.
- Les Garrigues - Arbequina and Verdiell varieties from the province of Lleida in Catalunia.
- Priego de Córdoba - Picado, Hojiblanca and Picual varieties from the province of Córdoba.
- Sierra Magina - Picual variety from the southern part of Jaén province.
- Sierra Segura - mostly Picual from the north-east of Jaén province.
- Siurana - Arbequina, Royal, and Murrot varieties from the province of Tarragona.
[edit] Iberican ham
- See also: Jamón
The famous jamon serrano has several Denominaciónes de Origen, including:
- Huelva - source of the renowned (and expensive) Jamón de Jabugo.
- Teruel
- Guijuelo - well-known for Jamón y Paleta Ibéricos de Bellota (from Acorn-fed pigs)
- Dehesa de Extremadura
- Los Pedroches
[edit] Cheese
- Tetilla unusually-shaped cheese from Galicia.
- Cabrales - Asturian blue cheese.
- Picon Bejes-Treviso - from Liébana region in the province of Cantabria.
- Liebana - from Cantabria, renowned for smoked cheeses.
- Cantabria - "fresh" Cantabrian cheese.
- Idiazábal - famous Basque cheese whose DO covers Alava, Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa and Navarra.
- Roncal - from Navarra.
- Zamorano
- Manchego - the most famous and popular of Spanish cheeses is from La Mancha province.
- Queso de la Serena - sheep's milk cheese from Badajoz.
[edit] Vinegar
There are just three Appellations for vinegar in the EU, of which two are in Spain:
[edit] Wine
- See also: Spanish wine regions
Wine region classification in Spain takes a quite complex hierarchical form in which the Denominación de Origen is a mid-range grading. Spain has 109 identifiable wine regions under some form of geographical classification, of which 59 are Denominación de Origen. The Spanish DO is actually a subset of the EU-sponsored QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in Specific Regions) regulatory code (Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) in Spanish) which Spain formally adopted in 1999.[2] The Spanish appellation hierarchy for wines takes the following form (highest quality first):
Denominación de Pago (DO de Pago) Individual single-estates with an international reputation
Denominación de Origen Calificada/Qualificada (DOCa/DOQ - Denominació d'Origen Qualificada in Catalan): top-quality wine regions
Denominación de Origen (Denominació d'Origen in Catalan - DO): mainstream quality-wine regions
Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) - less stringent regulation with specific geographical origin
Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT) - "country wine" areas which do not have EU QWPSR status but which may use a regional name
Vino de Mesa - Table wine, production of which has been in decline in recent years.
The more prominent DO wines include:
- Jumilla (Murcia) is a very successful DO producing notable wines from ungrafted, pre-phylloxera Monastrell vines.
- Campo de Borja (Zaragoza) has recently become more prominent. It features a number of cooperatives who produce Garnacha and Tempranillo.
- Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
- Penedès (Barcelona) is notable not only for the production of the sparkling wine Cava, but popular red wines from Tempranillo, Garnacha and Carinena grapes.
- Rías Baixas (Galicia) is known for its Albarino varietals, Spain's number one white wine. Other whites grown here include Treixadura, Loureira, Caino Blanco, and Torrontes. Popular red grapes in this region include Caino Tinot and Souson.
- Ribera del Duero (Castilla y Leon) challenges Rioja for the best red wines produced in Spain. Almost all of its wines are made from the Tempranillo grape.
- Rueda (Castilla y Leon) located west of Ribera del Duero, producing notable reds and whites typically less expensive than those of its more famous neighbours.
- Priorato (Tarragona) and Rioja are the two highest-regarded wine producing regions in Spain and carry the special Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa)
[edit] See also
Spanish wine regions
Olive oil
Jamón
