Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas_OW
Suppose that you sent some of these seeds to Carolyn, and she then grew tomatoes and offered those seeds to other Tomatoville members.
Since Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio (Spongillo) is a protected designation of origin variety name, would you expect the seeds to be given a new, different name? I know that this has happened to many food products- wines, cheeses, etc.
I can appreciate the desire to preserve the designation, but it can also make things very confusing.
Jim
|
Hi Douglas!
I see where you are driving. It is a good point indeed, and a confusing one.
The recognition given to the spongillo is derived not only from the type of tomato plant but to the particular conditions where it is grown: vulcanic location & terrain, climate, wind.
Now, not all years are the same and not all Piennolo come out each season with the same organolectic properties as the climate changes and regional conditions do as well. Yet it remains a
DPO product.
My answer to you is this: If you are getting seeds directly from the protected area of the Vesuvio national park where the Piennolo is grown, and you plant them in the US i see no reason to change a name. We will agree though on the fact that the Piennolo produced there will have different characteristics from the original one and will be at best a surrogate of the original one.
Not a DPO
If you get seeds from other fellows tomatovilles who have been getting their seeds from other local friends etc...etc... then the original plant even if maintaining certain characteristics has been somehow "polluted". Then as generations pass possibly it wouldnt be fair to maintain the same name as the plant is not the same.
The reason for the existence of the DPO certificate is very simple. You can get original vesuvio seeds and then grow the product in the US but you cant claim and SELL it as a
Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio (Spongillo) DPO.
You would have to specify that it is a Pomodorino Piennolo but not DPO, not grown on the vesuvio and does nto reflect same taste and properties
, else you would damage people who sell the real one in Italy. You would try to exploit a name whose general characteristics yor product does not possess.
Same thing happened to our Parmigiano cheese...chinese made...When we grow tomatoes for passion in an amatorial fashion the way the members of this forum do, i don't think we have such problems. If you are trying to make money out of it claiming you have a DPO spongillo grown in cheyenne, wyoming then...well, i don't think it would be fair, now would it ?!
Malabar