A new EU trade deal could soon prohibit Australian winemakers from using the “Prosecco” name for wines produced within Australia, prompting an outcry from the local wine industry.
“Prosecco is a grape variety name, just like Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon,” Lee McLean, CEO of Australian Grape & Wine, who along with a delegation of local winemakers lobbied parliamentarians last week, said. “The European Union’s approach to this issue is motivated by a desire to protect Italian producers from competition and nothing more.”
However, the Italians argue the word “Prosecco” is a geographical indication of a type of wine locally made in Trieste, northern Italy from Glera grapes.
McLean said the negotiations also highlighted the “real risk” surrounding such name bans.
“Prosecco isn’t just a bargaining chip for our negotiators,” McLean said. “If we don’t back our producers now, other varieties like Vermentino, Fiano, Nero d’Avola and Montepulciano will be next in the firing line.”
The first Prosecco variety was planted commercially in Australia 18 years ago by Otto Dal Zotto of Dal Zotto Wines.
Australian Grape & Wine estimate the value of Australian Prosecco production at about $200 million per annum, with the grape variety grown in 20 regions.
In 2020, the federal government issued a $100,000 grant to Monash University to clarify the “legal basis” for protecting geographical indications in trade agreements.
This story first appeared on our sister publication Inside FMCG
