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Prosecco names worth fighting for
King Valley winemakers rallied to protect the Australian government’s use of the name Prosecco, and this week the Deputy Minister for Trade is discussing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Italian government.
People like Prosecco-growing pioneer Otto Dal Zotto emigrated from his home country and started producing the Prosecco grape variety in 1999.
It was ten years ago that Italy changed the name of the town to Prosecco, and now it is trying to claim the name as a geographical marker.
However, Dal Zott said it is not the same as a geographical indicator of Champagne because it is named after the Champagne region rather than a variety such as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
“I grew up in this area and like my father and grandfather, Prosecco is in my blood.
“This situation has never been an issue for hundreds of years, but things changed when politicians tried to change Prosecco from varietal to regional for greed and money.”
Dal Zott warned that if the Australian government yielded, they would set the precedent for hundreds more products around the world.
Geographic indicator claims are also made in agricultural products such as feta and parmesan cheese.
“When I started growing Prosecco, I never took anything away from Italians because I wanted to eat here something that reminded me of my hometown,” said Dal Zotto.
“I believe there is room for everyone to benefit from a product like this.”
Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayers wants to make it clear to the Italian government that Australia wants an early deal with the European Union (EU).
He said he wanted to make sure they heard a strong case for Australia’s high quality agricultural products and against protectionism and agricultural market liberalization.
Indy MP Helen Haynes traveled to Canberra with prominent King Valley winemakers to secure Australian government support.
“I have prosecuted this case fairly harshly, but the King Valley winemakers have clearly demonstrated that this is not the legitimate claim of the Italians,” said Dr. Haynes.
“Our government is very keen to finalize this FTA as soon as possible, and in the process Australia aims to increase the amount of beef and dairy products sent to the European Union, but the Prosecco There is a problem with the naming of feta.
“I am indeed very adamant and as a local member strongly argue that the Australian government should not give in to this.”
Getting results with an FTA will require compromises from both sides of the table, but it would cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars if Australia were to lose its right to name these particular products.
“The branding and tourism element of Prosecco Road, as well as the wine sales ($205 million a year), are very important to the region,” said Dr Haynes.
‘We don’t want to lose the ability to call our wines by their proper names. I have tried to resolve this issue.
“This is not a legitimate case of historical names. It’s a very different scenario from France or Champagne.”
