[FROM THE MEDIA] Ponikve got a Protected designation of origin for wine at the EU level

On February the 10 th, 2021, the European Commission officially announced in the Official Journal of the European Union that "Ponikve" has been registered in the list of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), becoming the 17th protected designation of origin for Croatian wines whose name is registered in the EU. The purpose of this designation is to label the product, namely the wine, and highlight the name of the Ponikve locality in accordance with EU regulations, making it easier to recognize the unique characteristics of the vineyard site. +

The process of protecting the name of the locality "Ponikve" began on July 16, 2013. The project is led by the association "Pelješki vinski puti" (Pelješac Wine Roads), and the study was conducted by the Institute for Adriatic Cultures and Karst Reclamation in Split. The preparation of the Study for the protection of the Ponikve locality was supported by the Municipality of Ston, the County Chamber of Economy, and the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The Protected Designation of Origin "Ponikve" covers the vineyard site of Ponikve, located in the cadastral municipality of Boljenovići on the Pelješac Peninsula near the town of Ston, within the Pelješac wine region in the subregion of Central and Southern Dalmatia.

The entire area is an excellent example of the traditional method of cultivating vineyards with terraces and dry stone walls, creating an attractive landscape architecture and vista. The variety mostly cultivated is "plavac mali," and the traditional, bushy training system is prevalent throughout.

The protected designation of origin "Ponikve" covers the vineyard site of Ponikve, situated within the cadastral municipality of Boljenovići on the Pelješac Peninsula near the town of Ston.

The area of the protected designation of origin "Ponikve" is located on the Pelješac Peninsula near the town of Ston, and it is marked in red on the clear map.

The location is situated within the Pelješac vineyard region in the subregion of Central and Southern Dalmatia. The area of the protected designation of origin "Ponikve" extends from the Prapratno bay in the southeast to the Sparagovići area in the northwest. It is bordered by Ilijino Hill to the north, serving as a natural boundary for the Ponikve location, while the D414 state road connecting Ston and Orebić runs along its southern side.

Topographic map of the "Ponikve" Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area.

All vineyards within the "Ponikve" Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area are established through terracing the terrain or enclosing vineyards with dry stone walls, thereby creating usable land surface for grapevine cultivation and reducing the impact of soil erosion. The vineyards in the "Ponikve" PDO are not irrigated as they are well adapted to dry periods due to the specific soil structure.

Terraces on steep slopes and dry stone walls on flatter terrains represent an excellent example of the interaction between humans and their environment aimed at producing high-quality wines and optimizing the use and preservation of grape production areas, primarily focusing on conserving the landscape with its distinctive "stone lace" appearance, without the intention of transforming vineyards into large expanses with high levels of mechanization.

The cultivation form of the grapevine is exclusively the divided (bush-trained) shape without trellis throughout the area of the PDO "Ponikve".

In the area of PDO "Ponikve," predominantly red wines are produced from the Plavac Mali black variety, along with a smaller portion of white wines from the Maraština and Pošip white varieties.

Photo: D.G

Source: Morski.hr