Ciliegia di Vignola PGI

Vignola is recognised throughout Europe as the capital of cherries thanks to the high quality of the product. The pedo-climatic characteristics of the production area are ideal for cerasiculture (cool and barely continental climate, with abundant spring rainfall and summers which are never too dry, and the exceptionally fertile alluvial soils of the plains and fresh, deep soils of the hills). As early as the mid-19th century, the cherry tree was cultivated in the Vignola area in intercropping with vines, as was customary in the agriculture of those years.

However, the crop saw its real expansion from the 1920s onwards, following the silk trade crisis due to international competition, which meant that mulberry cultivation was no longer economically viable and farmers were inspired to plant the cherry tree in its place as a real cash crop; the professionalism and knowledge of the farmers have been handed down from generation to generation to the present day and are still applied today in production, harvesting and packaging techniques; this is the decisive factor which, together with the characteristics of the soil and climate, ensures that the cherries grown in the area of the Consorzio di tutela della Ciliegia di Vignola IGP (Consortium for the Protection of the Ciliegia di Vignola PGI) can be distinguished from those of other origins.

The district is made up of 28 municipalities in the provinces of Modena and Bologna and produces cherries which are famous for their lustre, brilliance, size and organoleptic characteristics.

Not to be forgotten is the importance of innovation, a key factor which has contributed and still contributes to keeping the Vignola name high in the world: from the selection of new varieties to the first tests on roofing systems, which mean that today we can protect about 30% of our cherry production from rain damage, to the testing of new agronomic techniques such as plant breeding and pruning; these are just some of the aspects which, over the years, have made the farmers' work easier and allowed us to offer the consumer a high-quality, healthy and genuine product.

Today, we still work to combine tradition, quality and innovation to bring the cherry par excellence, 'Ciliegia Vignola PGI', to consumers' tables.