The European Union’s Attempts to Limit the Use of The Term ‘prosecco’: Final Report

Prosecco has long been recognised as the name of a grape, but not as an indication of geographical origin. Yet, the Italian government and European Union (EU) now claim that Prosecco is not the name of a grape variety, but is instead the name of a geographical indication. They also claim that Prosecco wine is made from a grape variety called Glera. Their claim is based on the fact that Italian law and European regulations state these matters to be fact or, more accurately, purport to denote those matters as factual. The vast majority of relevant authorities and experts agree that Prosecco is a grape variety, despite the legislative attempt by the EU in 2009 to declare it to be a geographical indication.1 The Italian government, the EU and every relevant authority and expert agree that Prosecco was the name of a grape variety until at least 2009, when the EU Regulation declared it not to be so. There is no justifiable explanation as to how Prosecco could be a grape variety for hundreds of years up until 2009, when it ceased to be the name of a grape variety. On the contrary, there are contemporaneous reports that suggest that the change of name to Glera was designed to remove an obstacle to the protection of Prosecco as a geographical indication. Prosecco is the name of a grape variety and should continue to be accepted as such, with the consequence that it remains available for use in relation to wines made with that grape variety.