The European Union is demanding Australian winemakers cease utilizing the time period “prosecco” to label glowing wine.
A free-trade deal between the EU and the Australian authorities has been underneath negotiation for years however might quickly lastly come to fruition.
If handed – and the EU will get its means – prosecco would be a part of a listing of protected meals and drinks thought of geographical indications, and names like parmesan and feta is also on the chopping block.
Endeavour Group head of superb wine Andrew Shedden stated the problem has been “bubbling away for a while”.
“Back in the late ’90s (when) Australian producers first bought prospective vines to create prosecco wine it was considered a grape variety,” he instructed Sunrise on Thursday morning.
“Fast forward to 2009 and the Italian authorities have decided to change it.”
From that time on in Italy, prosecco was solely used to point wine that was made in a winemaking area between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is known as after the village of Prosecco within the northern province of Trieste.
“We are now at a pivotal point when potentially great Australian producers won’t be able to call their wine this,” Mr Shedden stated.
Prosecco hopes to rise to the posh standing of champagne, which is simply made within the eponymous French winemaking area.
“Sneaky Italians, aren’t they,” Sunrise host David Koch stated.
The final hope Aussies have of utilizing the phrase prosecco to explain glowing wine lies within the palms of commerce negotiators.
“The great tragedy here is there’s been two decades of Australian producers putting blood, sweat and tears into building up the brand,” Mr Shedden stated.
“Everybody knows it, everyone loves it and we want to keep selling it.
“It would be like changing shiraz or cabernet, it’s stupid.”
Last November, Aussie wine producers visited Parliament House in Canberra to temporary parliamentarians on the significance of the prosecco varietal on the economic system and wine sector.
Grape and Wine Australia chief government Lee McLean stated on the time the prosecco/glera selection had skyrocketing in reputation, rising from a $60m business in 2007 to a now $205m business.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
