Sangaste Rye Awarded Estonian Vodka Label

In mid-March, Sangaste Rye organic handcrafted vodka, produced by Gareth Niblett, a manor owner in Võhmuta, received official permission to use the “Estonian Vodka” Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). In mid-April, Niblett bottled the first batch of Estonian vodka at his distillery in Lasnamäe, with the words Estonian Vodka shining brightly on the label.

Rye is Estonia’s national grain, and ‘Sangaste’ is the world’s oldest cultivated variety, developed in 1875 for Estonia’s harsh climate. It is still cultivated today, and Manor Spirits uses Sangaste rye grown on the Lauri-Jaani farm.

In order to assess the composition and quality of the vodka, the distillery took control samples of both the spirit and the vodka, which met the requirements. The description of the ethyl alcohol and the vodka production process was also in line with the Estonian Vodka product specification, and thus Manor Spirits OÜ was authorised to use the protected name Estonian Vodka on the labelling of the Sangaste rye vodka it produced.

All went well

According to Niblett, the process of obtaining the right to use the protected designation is the result of a lot of hard work. “It’s not just about the right distillation, but the whole process,” they said. In some of the nine tests, he couldn’t get the right result and had to review the whole production process. For example, he replaced conventional yeast with more neutral yeast, lowered the fermentation temperature and changed the pH. “That’s why the tuning took so long,” Niblett said. The resulting flavour profile is perfect, spicy and piquant.

What’s fascinating is that the alcohol is measured by weight into the bottle, because volume depends on temperature. “We fill the bottles by weight because it’s more accurate,” explained Niblett.

First Protected Geographical Indication

Estonian Vodka is Estonia’s first Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), registered by the European Commission on 27 March 2019. The designation can be used by all companies marketing spirits produced in accordance with the Estonian Vodka product specification.

Although Niblett won a major accolade in an organic competition last year for their vodka produced from winter wheat, he decided to apply for the local product label for its Sangaste rye vodka first. “It was more complicated and I like to take risks,” they said, vowing to immediately start applying for recognition for vodka made from wheat. In addition, he plans to launch a blend of rye and wheat vodka. “It will be a combination of softer tasting wheat and sharper rye,” Niblett described.

Specific requirements

“In a nutshell, Estonian Vodka is a spirit drink made from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin obtained by fermentation with yeast from rye, wheat or potatoes grown in the Republic of Estonia, using water from Estonia,” explained Kadri Pajur, Head of the Fisheries and Market Management Department of the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board (PTA).

Registered names are protected against direct or indirect commercial misuse, such as imitation. So far, three producers of spirits, including Manor Spirits OÜ, have applied to produce Estonian Vodka. However, according to Pajur, all Estonian spirit drink producers have the possibility to do so if the vodka is produced according to a registered product specification.

This is checked by the PTA before the product is put on the market. “So far, there has been one case where an agricultural ethyl alcohol, or spirit, produced by a producer for Estonian Vodka at the first attempt did not fully meet the requirements,” Pajur said. He added that they expect that if the operator wants to use the protected name, they have already verified and ensured in advance that the product produced complies with the product specification.

Translated by Manor Spirits, original article by Tiit Efert and published in Maa Elu (Postimees).