Modena, in northern Italy, is famous for its balsamic vinegar. It is made from specific varieties of grape which are aged in wooden barrels for several years.
But the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Wednesday that protection of the name “Aceto Balsamico di Modena” (Balsamic Vinegar from Modena) “does not extend to the use of the individual non-geographical terms of that name”.
“The term ‘aceto’ [vinegar] is a common term and the term ‘balsamico’ [balsamic] is an adjective that is commonly used to refer to a vinegar with a bitter-sweet flavour,” it said.
The producers in Modena launched the case after a vinegar manufacturer in Germany marketed its vinegar-based products with the names “Balsamico” and “Deutscher Balsamico” (German Balsamic).
The case went before a German court, which then asked the ECJ for clarification.
The court noted that the terms also appeared in another protected designation from a neighbouring province in Italy – “Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Reggio Emilia” (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Reggio Emilia).