Zivania – Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)

Zivania, the traditional alcoholic drink of Cyprus, is registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product. This certification requires the strict application of the specifications set out in the relevant Regulation on the production and labeling of Zivania.

At a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources held on January 16, 2024, the issue of the production of Zivania and the observance of the specifications of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) as defined by the relevant Regulation were discussed.

The reason for discussing the issue in Parliament was the production and sale of alcoholic beverages bearing the name “Zivania” which do not meet the required specifications of the PGI, something that is illegal.
It is noted that according to the specifications, the production of Zivania is allowed only with grape marc from Cypriot traditional varieties. For the production of Zivania, grape marc may be used exclusively from non-traditional Cypriot varieties, provided that they come only from a non-traditional Cypriot variety, which is included in the national classification based on the Department of Agriculture (General Provisions Classification of Vine Varieties) Decree of 2014 (Regulatory Administrative Act 535/2014) and the name of which must be indicated on the main label.

We have noticed that almost all businesses that have Zivania on the Cypriot market do not bear the PGI marking. The specifications state that the use of the PGI label is optional for wines, however, mainly for the information of consumers and other stakeholders, we suggest using the label to highlight the relationship of the product with the geographical area in which it is registered.

You can see the specifications in detail by clicking here.

PDF Circular – Zivania – Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)