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Have Your Say and lodge an objection to the proposed GI for Prosecco
Wine Victoria together with Australian Grape & Wine is urging anyone with an interest in the grape variety Prosecco, or the ongoing rights to use other grape variety terms, to make sure their voice is heard as the Australian Government opens a public objections process in a range of proposed European Union (EU) wine geographical indications (GIs).
“It’s absolutely critical that Australian grape growers and winemakers submit their views to Government through this public objection process” said Lee McLean, Chief Executive of Australian Grape & Wine.
“Prosecco is a grape variety just like shiraz or chardonnay,” said Mr McLean. “We need to let political decision makers in Australia and the EU know that maintaining our ability to use grape variety names is an essential element of rules-based trade and investment in our sector.”
Through the negotiation for the Australia-European Community Agreement on Trade in Wine (Wine Agreement), the EU is seeking protection for 50 new wine GIs – including Prosecco and Picpoul de Pinet – as well as updates to existing GIs. The public objections process is a way for interested stakeholders to provide submissions of objection to the wine GIs for which the EU is seeking protection for in Australia.
Submissions must be lodged before 12.00pm, Friday 21 April 2023 AEST via the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Have Your Say webpage. The Department has also made available a range of documents to help stakeholders understand the process and will undertake public information sessions online. This information and public information session details can be found here.
Australian Prosecco has grown to over $200 million dollars in value, with regions like Victoria’s King Valley investing millions in vineyards, production facilities and associated tourism infrastructure. The variety is grown in 20 regions across Australia and is fetching the second highest average grape price of any white grape variety at the moment. To lose the right to use Prosecco, now when the sector is under significant economic pressure, would be devastating to these regions and their communities. It would also leave Australian grape and wine businesses wondering which grape varieties will be targeted next by the EU.
Prosecco supporting information for objection process.
Prosecco is a grape variety.
Prosecco is a long-standing, internationally recognised grape variety used to produce wine around the world. It is recognised as such by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in its international list of vine varieties.
- It is different to Champagne – which is a region and a method/recipe as such.
- Italian decision to call it a GI was unilateral – protectionist motive.
- This is the equivalent of the Yarra Valley claiming Chardonnay is a region and stopping anyone else from using the variety globally.
- In Australia – prosecco grape vines came in Australia over 20 years ago when the Dal Zotto family planted Australia’s first commercial vineyard of Prosecco grapes in 1999. In 2004, The Dal Zotto family released Australia’s first Prosecco wine for commercial sale.
Prosecco is an important part of the Australian and Victorian Wine sector.
- $205 million value of production in Australia, increasing from $60 million in 2017.
- Approx 80% of the total Australian production of Prosecco ($164 million) is grown in Victoria. The King Valley, Murray-Darling, Alpine Valley, and Swan Hill are the largest producing areas.
- 95 per cent of Australia’s Prosecco production is sold in Australia.
Legal defence
- Prosecco is the thin edge of the wedge for other varieties – The removal would not only devastate local economies it would set a precedent for other grape varieties which are already the next target of the EU like Vermentino, Sangiovese, Fiano, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola and others.
- Australian Prosecco has grown to over $200 million dollars in value, with regions like Victoria’s King Valley investing millions in vineyards, production facilities and associated tourism infrastructure. The variety is grown in 20 regions across Australia and is fetching the second highest average grape price of any white grape variety at the moment. To lose the right to use Prosecco, now when the sector is under significant economic pressure, would be devastating to these regions and their communities. It would also leave Australian grape and wine businesses wondering which grape varieties will be targeted next by the EU.
Prosecco GI – EU background information
- In an attempt to obtain exclusive use of the name, in 2009, Italy was successful in changing the name of the Prosecco grape variety to Glera within the European Union (EU). Prosecco was then protected as a Geographical Indication (GI) in the EU, effectively shutting out imports of Prosecco.
- In 2013, the EU lodged a GI claim to protect Prosecco as a GI in Australia. This claim was successfully challenged by the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (now Australian Grape and Wine) on the grounds that Prosecco is a grape variety. Australian Prosecco has continued to be legitimately produced and enjoyed in Australia and around the world since this time.