Stop ‘abusing’ term prosecco for any old bubbly, Italians warn

AN ITALIAN consortium has warned British drinkers to stop “abusing” the term prosecco by using it for any sparkling wine.

In a poster being displayed on the London Underground, a picture of a barrel is featured, alongside the words: “This is not prosecco. Do not call it prosecco if it is a common effervescent wine.” The message is being displayed at more than 80 sites across the capital.

It is expected that 15 million people will see it during the two-week campaign, which began on Dec 18. The Prosecco DOC Consortium safeguards the term “prosecco”, which has been protected under EU law since 2009.

The drink has a geographical designation label (DOC), meaning the wine must be produced in one of two Italian regions, Veneto or Friuli-Venezia

Giulia. Previously, any sparkling wine made with prosecco grapes could claim the moniker.

In the consortium’s annual statement, it drew attention to its legal victory over Australian producers in the Singapore Court of Appeal to only allow the name prosecco to be used for wines of Italian origin.

Australian producers have been making sparkling wine from glera, the prosecco grape, since 2001, and disagreements about the term have proved a sticking point in free trade agreements with the EU. In 2020, the Australian government funded a project to examine the validity of the protected geographical indication.

In other examples of its committed defence of prosecco, the consortium also said it had acted with “great determination” to fight the use of the term for other products including soaps, candles, electronic cigarettes, chocolates, and candy.

It said it had monitored more than 50,000 websites for exploitation of the term.

Stefano Zanette, of the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC, said: “It is a tradition for us to carry out an international communication campaign at the end of the year, to underline the consolidated role for Prosecco DOC in celebrating the upcoming festivities.”

Diego Tomasi, of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG consortium, also stressed the need to protect the name “prosecco” from abuse.

“The value of Italian viticulture lies in the close and intimate link between the vine and genius loci,” Mr Tomasi said. “Any attempt at imitation or evocation of the name must be strongly opposed.”

It comes as British drinkers turn away from prosecco to other sparkling wines, with the annual growth rate flat in the past five years, according to drinks analysts IWSR.