- addition of alcohol
means the addition of ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or distillates of agricultural origin or both to a spirit drink;
- ageing
means the storage of a spirit drink in appropriate receptacles for a period of time for the purpose of allowing that spirit drink to undergo natural reactions that impart specific characteristics to that spirit drink;
- Ageing scale
means each group of oak casks and containers with the same level of maturation, through which the brandy progresses in the course of its ageing process.
- alcoholic strength by volume
means the ratio of the volume of pure alcohol present in a product at 20 oC to the total volume of that product at the same temperature;
- allusion
means the direct or indirect reference to one or more legal names provided for in the categories of spirit drinks set out in Annex I or to one or more geographical indications for spirit drinks, other than a reference in a compound term or in a list of ingredients as referred to in Article 13(2) to (4) in the description, presentation and labelling of:
- Average age
means the period of time corresponding to the rotation of the total stock of brandy that is undergoing the ageing process, calculated by dividing the total volume of brandy contained in all the ageing scales by the volume of the extractions made from the last scale – the solera – in one year.
- blend
means a spirit drink that has undergone blending.
- caramel
means a food additive corresponding to E-numbers E 150a, E 150b, E 150c or E 150d and relating to products of a more or less intense brown colour which are intended for colouring, as referred to in Part B of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008;
- compound term
means, in relation to the description, presentation and labelling of an alcoholic beverage, the combination of either a legal name provided for in the categories of spirit drinks set out in Annex I or the geographical indication for a spirit drink, from which all the alcohol of the final product originates, with one or more of the following:
- description
means the terms used in the labelling, in the presentation and on the packaging of a spirit drink, on the documents accompanying the transport of a spirit drink, on the commercial documents, particularly the invoices and delivery notes, and in the advertising of a spirit drink;
- distillate of agricultural origin
means an alcoholic liquid which is the result of the distillation, after alcoholic fermentation, of agricultural products listed in Annex I to the Treaty, which does not have the properties of ethyl alcohol and which retains the aroma and taste of the raw materials used;
- distillation
means a thermal separation process involving one or more separation steps intended to achieve certain organoleptic properties or a higher alcoholic concentration or both, regardless of whether such steps take place under normal pressure or under vacuum, due to the distilling device used;
- Extraction
means the partial volume of brandy drawn from each oak cask and container in an ageing scale, for its incorporation into the oak casks and containers in the next ageing scale or, in the case of the solera, for its shipping.
- flavouring preparation
means flavouring preparation as defined in point (d) of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008;
- flavouring substance
means flavouring substance as defined in point (b) of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008;
- generic name
means a name of a spirit drink that has become generic and that, although it relates to the place or the region where the spirit drink was originally produced or marketed, has become the common name of that spirit drink in the Union;
- geographical indication
means an indication which identifies a spirit drink as originating in the territory of a country, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of that spirit drink is essentially attributable to its geographical origin;
- group
means any association, irrespective of its legal form, that is mainly composed of producers or processors working with the spirit drinks concerned;
- label
means any tag, brand, mark, pictorial or other descriptive matter, written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed or impressed on, or attached to the packaging or container of food;
- labelling
means any word, particulars, trade marks, brand name, pictorial matter or symbol relating to a product and placed on any packaging, document, notice, label, ring or collar accompanying or referring to such product;
- legal name
means the name under which a spirit drink is placed on the market, within the meaning of point (n) of Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011;
- mixture
means a spirit drink that has undergone mixing;
- natural flavouring substance
means natural flavouring substance as defined in point (c) of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008;
- other authorised ingredients
means food ingredients with flavouring properties authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 and food additives other than colours authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008;
- other flavouring
means other flavouring as defined in point (h) of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008;
- packaging
means the protective wrappings, cartons, cases, containers and bottles used in the transport or sale of spirit drinks;
- presentation
means the terms used in the labelling and on the packaging, as well as in advertising and sales promotion of a product, in images or such like, as well as on the container, including on the bottle or the closure;
- product specification
means a file attached to the application for the protection of a geographical indication, in which the specifications with which the spirit drink has to comply are set out, and which was referred to as a ‘technical file’ under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008;
- Replenishment
means the volume of brandy from the oak casks and containers of a given ageing scale that is incorporated into and blended with the content of the oak casks and containers of the following scale in terms of age.
- sweetening products
means:
- to blend
means to combine two or more spirit drinks of the same category that are distinguishable only by minor differences in composition due to one or more of the following factors: the spirit drink so produced belongs to the same category of spirit drinks as the original spirit drinks before blending;
- to colour
means to use one or more colours in the production of a spirit drink;
- to flavour
means to add flavourings or flavouring foodstuffs in the production of a spirit drink by means of one or more of the following processes: addition, infusion, maceration, alcoholic fermentation, or distillation of alcohol in the presence of the flavourings or flavouring foodstuffs;
- to mix
means to combine a spirit drink that either belongs to a category of spirit drinks set out in Annex I or to a geographical indication with one or more of the following:
- to sweeten
means to use one or more sweetening products in the production of spirit drinks;
- visual field
means field of vision as defined in point (k) of Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011;
- volatile substances content
means the quantity of volatile substances, other than ethyl alcohol and methanol, contained in a spirit drink produced exclusively by distillation.