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8.6.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
148/15
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 482/2012
of 7 June 2012
approving minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected
designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Tettnanger Hopfen (PGI))
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
available to hop plants. The maximum drying
temperature shall be raised to 65 °C as a result of new
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
scientific information.
Union,
(3) The
Commission
has
examined
the
amendment
in
question and decided that it is justified. Since the
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of
amendment is a minor one within the meaning of
20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications
Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, the
and designations of origin for agricultural products and food
Commission can approve it without recourse to the
stuffs ( 1 ), and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 7(4)
procedure laid down in Articles 5, 6 and 7 of the said
thereof,
Regulation,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Whereas:
Article 1
(1) In
accordance
with
the
first
subparagraph
of
Article
9(1) The specification for the protected geographical indication
of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, the Commission has
‘Tettnanger Hopfen’ is hereby amended in accordance with
examined Germany’s application for the approval of
Annex I to this Regulation.
amendments to the specification for the protected desig
nation of origin ‘Tettnanger Hopfen’ registered under
Article 2
Commission Regulation (EC) No 415/2010 ( 2 ).
Annex II to this Regulation contains the Single Document
setting out the main points of the specification.
(2)
The aim of the application is to amend the specification.
New trellis systems shall be authorised for economic
Article 3
reasons. The pruning period shall be adjusted to allow
growers to better adjust to less and less favourable
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day
weather conditions. The use of herbicides with the new
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
trellis systems shall be authorised to increase the water
Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 7 June 2012.
For the Commission,
On behalf of the President,
Dacian CIOLO
Member of the Commission
( 1 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.
( 2 ) OJ L 119, 13.5.2010, p. 5.

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L 148/16
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
8.6.2012
ANNEX I
The specification for the protected geographical indication ‘Tettnanger Hopfen’ is amended as follows:
Method of production:
(1) The fourth, fifth and sixth sentences shall be deleted as follows:
In Tettnang growers cannot start their work until the spring, unlike in other hop-growing regions where the wire
support systems are put in place during the winter. This is due to the trellis systems specific to the region: whereas a
single-row system predominates in other regions, in Tettnang there are six rows of hops between each row for
machinery.
Explanation: the (various) new trellis systems are being introduced for economic reasons, as they in particular make it
easier to use machinery.
(2) In the seventh sentence the words ‘In early to mid-April’ shall be replaced by the words ‘From the beginning of March
until mid-April’.
Explanation: extending the pruning period allows growers to better adapt to the increase in less favourable weather
conditions due to changing climate, as well as to optimise the use of manpower.
(3) The following 16th and 17th sentences shall be deleted:
One peculiarity is that a green cover crop is sown during the flowering phase (unlike in other regions, the hop-
growers in the Tettnang region have voluntarily forbidden the use of herbicides), which means that no further tillage
is required. This prevents the soil becoming too compact and washed out, and promotes the formation of humus.
Explanation: new trellis systems may necessitate the use of herbicides. This only takes place in the (relatively seldom)
cases when weed growth is strong, and is necessary in order to increase the water available to hop plants. This should
not be detrimental to the quality of the hops themselves.
(4) In the 20th sentence the figure ‘62 °C’ shall be replaced by the figure ‘65 °C’.
Explanation: new scientific information may make it necessary to dry the hops at temperatures of up to 65 °C. The
raising of the maximum drying temperature is in line with the general conditions of the hop delivery contract; the
quality table for German certified hops contained therein states that raw hops must be dried at a temperature of 60 –
65 °C. Drying at a higher temperature also helps increase the energy efficiency of the process. The hops’ fine aroma is
not affected by this.

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EN
8.6.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
148/17
ANNEX II
SINGLE DOCUMENT
Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin
‘TETTNANGER HOPFEN’
EC No: DE-PGI-0105-0528-03.11.2011
PGI ( X ) PDO ( )
1. Name
‘Tettnanger Hopfen’
2. Member State or Third Country
Germany
3. Description
of
the
agricultural
product
or
foodstuff
3.1. Type of product
Class 1.8: Other products of Annex I to the Treaty (spices, etc.)
3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies
Botany: botanically the hop (Humulus lupulus) belongs to the same family as hemp (Cannabaceae) and to the order
Urticales (nettles). It is a dioecious plant, i.e. each plant carries only female or only male flowers. Only ‘female’ plants
are cultivated, forming flowers called burrs from which the cones later develop. The protection afforded by
Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 is to apply only to female hop cones (fresh hops) and the products obtained by
processing them (in this case, hop pellets and hop extract in particular). A hop cone consists of bracts, bracteoles
and a strig providing the valuable brewing constituents of Tettnang hops. The hop is a short-day plant, i.e. it grows
in the spring as the days get longer, and flowers from around 21 June when the days get shorter. Thanks to the
favourable conditions in which they grow (soil, precipitation levels and average temperatures), Tettnang hops can
reach heights of 8,3 m, unlike hops in other areas (support systems in other growing areas are normally 7-7,5 m in
height). Tettnang hops are fast-growing (up to 30 cm a day) and climb in a clockwise direction. All aromatic varieties
from the Tettnang region are defined as Tettnanger Hopfen. The varieties ‘Hallertauer Tradition’ and ‘Perle’ are grown
in addition to the main varieties of ‘Tettnanger’ (since 1973 the uniform ‘Tettnanger Frühhopfen’; P. Heidtmann,
‘Grünes Gold’, 1994, p. 342). The ‘Tettnanger’ variety is grown only in the Tettnang region.
Use: ‘Tettnanger’ hops are used almost exclusively (around 99 %) for producing beer, with a small portion going into
pharmaceutical products. Customers receive ‘Tettnanger’ hops in processed form as hop pellets and, to a lesser
extent, as hop extract (since valuable aromas can be lost during the extraction process).
Components: the important substances in hops are bitter substances (hop resins), aromas (essential oils) and tannins
(polyphenols). Tettnang is defined as an area for the growing of aromatic varieties of hops.
Tettnang hops owe their worldwide reputation in particular to exceptionally delicate aromas, which are made up of
over 300 essential oil constituents (the hop’s ‘bouquet’). Descriptions of the aroma of Tettnang hops include flowery,
citrusy, fruity, redcurrant-like, sweet and spicy. Hops grown in the Tettnang area are described as generally having a
harmonious but lingering full and mild aroma.
In addition to this classification, the varieties are officially classified by the hop trade as ‘finest aroma, aroma, bitter
hops, high alpha hops’. 96 % of Tettnang hops (the varieties Tettnanger and Hallertauer) are in the category ‘finest
aroma’; the remaining 4 % (Perle and Hallertauer Tradition) are in the category ‘aroma’. Since many of the 300
aromatic components are not yet sensorily detectable, it is still the subjective impression of the aroma that counts
for the breweries’ decision-makers and buyers (when making his selection the buyer puts his nose in among the
hops). Those knowledgeable in this field say that the Tettnang hop is the finest of all hops.
3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)
—
3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)
—

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L 148/18
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
8.6.2012
3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area
The entire hop production process until the moment the hop cones are packaged by the hop growers and sealed and
certified at the local sealing centre takes place in the defined geographical area.
3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.
—
3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling
—
4. Concise
definition
of
the
geographical
area
The geographical area is the Tettnang region. This includes:
1. the municipalities of Eriskirch, Friedrichshafen, Hagnau am Bodensee, Immenstaad am Bodensee, Kressbronn am
Bodensee, Langenargen, Markdorf, Meckenbeuren, Neukirch, Oberteuringen and Tettnang in the Lake Constance
district (Bodenseekreis);
2. the municipalities of Achberg, Amtzell, Berg, Bodnegg, Grünkraut, Ravensburg, Wangen im Allgu (area of the
former municipalities of Neuravensburg and Schomburg) in the rural district of Ravensburg; and
3. the municipalities of Bodolz, Lindau (Bodensee), Nonnenhorn and Wasserburg (Bodensee) in the rural district of
Lindau (Bodensee).
5. Link
with
the
geographical
area
5.1. Specificity of the geographical area
The first official record of hop-growing in the Tettnang region dates back to 1150 (P. Heidtmann, ‘Grünes Gold’,
1994, p 12). The records for 1838 of the then Oberamt Tettnang give the names of 14 breweries (see Memminger’s
‘Beschreibung des Oberamts Tettnang’, 1838, p. 62), three of which were for the town. Three years later, in 1841,
this number had risen to six (P. Heidtmann, ‘Grünes Gold’, 1994, p. 13). Their owners grew their hops themselves.
The methodical cultivation of hops was introduced in 1844 by district physician Johann Nepomuk von Lentz and
eight citizens of the town in an area where climatic conditions made wine-growing less feasible (P. Heidtmann,
‘Grünes Gold’, 1994, p. 15). From 1860 onwards, the hop-growing area expanded, meeting with the older growing
region of Altshausen to the north (where hops had been cultivated from around 1821; P. Heidtmann, ‘Grünes Gold’,
1994, p. 14). In 1864, 91 ha were cultivated; this figure rose to 160 ha in 1866, 400 ha in 1875, and 630 ha in
1914; (P. Heidtmann, ‘Grünes Gold’, 1994, p. 22 et seq.). The hop-growing region around Tettnang saw its most
significant expansion in the 1990s, when the area cultivated increased to 1 650 hectares (1997 EU hop market
report, 1997 HVG producer group report). In the Tettnang region only aromatic hops were selected and grown.
Tettnang hops are grown only on the gravel of the lower terraces formed from the late-moraine till of the Würm
glaciation in the Schussen basin, along the River Argen and its ice-age banks. This geological formation with
underlying groundwater currents enables the hops to grow roots up to 2 m deep. At the same time, it provides
the hops with a constant source of moisture even during periods of extreme drought. The temperate climate here
between 400 and 600 m above mean sea level and influenced in part by Lake Constance is another important factor
determining the aroma of Tettnang hops.
Tettnang hops are grown in climatic conditions (average annual temperatures, hours of sunshine, precipitation)
which are unique. With a temperature of 9,4 °C, almost 1 800 hours of sunshine and 1 136 mm of rain, the average
figures recorded during the last 30 years (2009 data) are much higher than those in other growing regions in
Germany.
5.2. Specificity of the product
All aromatic varieties from the Tettnang region are defined as Tettnanger Hopfen. The varieties ‘Hallertauer Tradition’
and ‘Perle’ are grown in addition to the main varieties of ‘Tettnanger’ and ‘Hallertauer Mittelfrüher’. The ‘Tettnanger’
variety is grown only in the Tettnang region.
Tettnanger Hopfen contain exceptionally delicate aromas which are made up of over 300 essential oil constituents
(the hop ‘bouquet’). Descriptions of the aroma of Tettnang hops include flowery, citrusy, fruity, redcurrant-like, sweet
and spicy. Hops grown in the Tettnang area are described as generally having a harmonious but lingering full and
mild aroma.

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EN
8.6.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
148/19
96 % of Tettnang hops (the varieties Tettnanger and Hallertauer) are in the hop trade category ‘finest aroma’; the
remaining 4 % (Perle and Hallertauer Tradition) are in the category ‘aroma’.
Tettnanger Hopfen are also characterised by a high level of homogeneity.
This is proven by the annual external quality examination of hop batches delivered to Tettnang’s hop laboratory.
For the Tettnanger variety this was also confirmed by Hohenheim University and for the Hallertauer Mittelfrüher
variety by the Anheuser/Busch brewery.
Tettnang hops have a reputation which extends well beyond regional boundaries. The delicate aroma of the hops
from Tettnang has enamoured connoisseurs in Japan and the USA alike. One example of the respect and association
with quality enjoyed by Tettnang hops can be found in the USA, where it is not rare for brewers to put a label on
their kegs stating that the contents have been ‘Brewed with Tettnang Hops’. The quality of Tettnang hops means that
they always attract the highest selling prices (EU annual reports in the 1990s, annual reports from 1990 to 2000 of
the Bayerische Landesanstalt; P. Heidtmann, ‘Grünes Gold’, 1994, pp. 368 and 369). The lives of the citizens of
Tettnang revolve around hops, a fact borne out by the regional structures and events which focus on Tettnang hops.
The Tettnang Hop Museum, which opened its doors in 1995, bears witness to the town’s fascination with hop-
growing. A 4 km educational trail tells interested visitors all they need to know about Tettnang hops. A 42 km
circular path takes cyclists through the Tettnang hop-growing region. Every year in August, shortly before the
harvest, the citizens of Tettnang come together to celebrate the long tradition of their ‘green gold’ at the Hop
Festival in Tettnang-Kau. And finally, every two years the Tettnang Hop Highnesses are elected (one Hop Queen and
two Princesses) as ambassadors for Tettnang hops at home and abroad.
5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the
reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)
The combination of these geological and climatic factors provides optimum conditions for Tettnang hops to grow
and produce cones, and ensures a homogeneity which is to a large extent due to geographical factors. In addition,
the soil conditions in the defined geographical area and the fairly mild climate, partly due to the influence of Lake
Constance, play a major role in determining the particularly fine aroma of Tettnanger Hopfen. It is this aroma which
is instrumental in its global renown. The long tradition of hop cultivation in the Tettnang region also means that the
local population strongly identifies with Tettnanger Hopfen and make it part of their cultural life.
Reference to publication of the specification
Markenblatt Vol. 33 of 20.8.2010, Part 7a-bb, p. 14729
http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/19450

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Document Outline

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