Australian Prosecco lives on

Australian-made Prosecco will continue to be marketed and sold under the name Prosecco, after the Registrar of Trademarks upheld an objection to a European Commission application which sought to register the Italian geographical indication (GI) Prosecco as a GI in Australia.

If the application had been successful, Australian producers would no longer have been able to use the term ‘Prosecco’ on a label.

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) objected to the EC application on the grounds that the term is used in Australia as the name of a variety of grapes.

“This is a triumph for common sense and protects the right of Prosecco producers in Australia to market their product as they wish,” said WFA CEO Paul Evans.

“This is a very important outcome for the producers in the King Valley,” said Roland Wahlquist, CEO of Brown Brothers.

“Prosecco is now so well known in Australia that in 2011 Tourism Victoria launched King Valley Prosecco Road, a food and wine trail designed to help visitors discover the pleasures of Prosecco in the King Valley of North East Victoria.

“While the variety has Italian origins, the King Valley makes its own version of this wine, with an emphasis on freshness and delicacy. Each year the region’s six Prosecco producers sell over 30,000 cases in the Australian market.”

The WFA says the European Commission is likely to appeal the decision in the Federal Court.