How the battle for prosecco is heating up for Australian wine producers

An effort by the European Union to limit the usage of the identify prosecco has been labelled by Australian authorized lecturers because the “dodgiest declare” to a geographical indicator.

The EU is looking for safety for 50 new wine geographical indicators as a a part of free commerce negotiations.

If granted, they wouldn’t permit Australian producers to make use of the identify prosecco.

Monash College regulation professor Mark Davison, who specialises in mental property regulation surrounding geographical indications, stated Prosecco was the identify of a grape selection.

Teachers from Monash and Macquarie Universities checked out historic information courting again to the 1700s, the primary Italian regulation in relation to prosecco in 1969, books revealed by the Italian authorities, and main wine writers who had all refered to the identify as a grape selection.

Italy modified the identify of the prosecco grape selection to glera in 2009, which Mr Davison stated was for commercially protecting causes.

“The Italian authorities declared prosecco was not the identify of the grape, it was a reputation of a area,” Mr Davison stated.

“As a matter of regulation, they’ve determined it’s a area however for commercially protecting areas.”

Mr Davison stated the European Union had plenty of professional claims to geographical indications nonetheless he believed the prosecco declare was illegitimate.

“If we settle for it’s a [geographical indicator] and never the identify of a grape selection, then you definitely would possibly as effectively say regardless of the EU says that is what we will do,” he stated.

Completely different to champagne

Geographical indications are names used on a product that has a selected geographical origin and possesses qualities or a status which might be primarily attributable to that origin.

Champagne is arguably the world’s most well-known indicator, the place solely wine produced within the area may be known as champagne.

Mr Davison stated the distinction was champagne was not constructed from a grape of the identical identify.

“What’s occurred here’s a seize for a grape selection identify, an try to monopolise,” he stated.

Mr Davison stated he hoped the Australian authorities would take a look at the teachers’ proof when it got here to creating a call.

“It is a matter for the Australian authorities the place its appears on the info or whether or not it rolls over in a political combat with the European Union,” he stated.

Producers dig in

Submissions shut immediately for the federal government’s public objections course of, with a call anticipated to be made later this 12 months.

Prosecco producers in Victoria’s King Valley are digging of their heels, petitioning the federal government to combat to maintain the usage of the identify.

Brown Brothers winemaker Katherine Brown stated her firm had been producing prosecco for greater than 20 years.

“We initially purchased grape vines from Italy, and so they have all the time been known as prosecco grape vines,” Ms Brown stated. 

“We’re digging our heels in to maintain the identify, we’re very critical about this.”

Ms Brown stated the corporate had invested closely in prosecco with vine plantings, specialist manufacturing zones and thousands and thousands of {dollars} of selling.

“This isn’t nearly prosecco, it is simply the tip of the iceberg,” she stated.

“We’re fearful about if we let prosecco go, then we open up the grounds for different varieties to be taken off us.”