"Prices reached €4-6/kg for good grades, while smaller fruits sell at €2-3/kg. Last year, most of the produce could be classified as Extra, but not this year."
Nonetheless, quality is excellent. Now that spring rain has come and gone, organoleptic quality is better.
The varieties currently being harvested are: Samba, Celeste, Giorgia, Prime Jant, Durone Nero Primo. The Vignola wholesale markets distribute 50% of the produce to high-end Milan markets, as these kinds of cherries are not really sold in discount and retail stores.
The consortium gathers around 700 members and cherries from Vignola are now rather well-known. "We worked a lot to achieve this. The produce has good organoleptic qualities and grades and, most of all, batches are uniform. These aspects are all important, otherwise customers don't come back after trying the product once."
Contacts:
Consorzio Ciliegia di Vignola Igp
Via dell'Agricoltura 1,
41058 Vignola (Modena)
Tel.: 059/766738
Email: consorziodellaciliegia@tin.it
Web: www.consorziociliegiadivignolaigp.it