France has just agreed for the cherries of Coteaux du Ventoux to obtain a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). It is now up to the European Commission to take position on the subject. It is the first protected geographical indication for cherries in France.
The association of producers has been working on it for 10 years already. The specifications are already applied for this 2019 season and the 70 producers of this new PGI are just waiting for the European green light in order to add the blue and yellow PGI logo to their crates.
Six varieties of cherries are concerned by this PGI: Burlat, Folfer, Summit, Van, Géant d'Hedelfingen et Belge.
The criteria taken into account are:
- geographical area: 85 towns at the foot of the Ventoux
- orchard management (size and soil analyses)
- ripeness and caliber of the fruits, which must be more than 1 inch
- harvesting process, including sorting methods which are free (manual or mechanized)
In total, 15,000 tons of cherries are produced in the Vaucluse department. The cherries of Coteaux du Ventoux account for 80% of the volume.
Source: francebleu.fr