On Sept. 22.9.21, the European Commission published in the Official Journal Croatia’s application for recognition of the traditional term Prošek dessert wine.
Italy objected, deducing the risk of confusion with Prosecco sparkling wine, which is now the most consumed Italian DOC wine worldwide and experiences continuous export growth.
Moreover, the two wines have different histories and characteristics, complementary and by no means competing. Why then not create synergies instead of wasting money on steeplechase battles?
Prosecco and Prošek, Italian sparkling wine and Croatian dessert wine
Prosecco and Prošek have similar names and come from relatively close areas. However, the two wines differ in many ways, from grapes to winemaking practices, organoleptic properties, and drinking occasions:
– Prosecco, as noted, (1) is made from Glera grapes in the territories of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. English writer and traveler Fynes Moryson (1566-1630) reports that ‘Pucinum, now called Prosecho,’ was already ‘celebrated by Pliny’ the Elder (23-79 AD), author of the Naturalis Historia. The grapes are harvested between mid-August and early September, and the musts are fermented in autoclaves using the Martinotti (or Charmat) method. It is a DOC sparkling wine for every pocket, with various declinations that achieve superior quality in the DOCGs of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, (2)
– Prošek, on the other hand, is a dessert wine characteristic of central and southern Dalmatia, in the areas of Dalmatinska zagora, Sjeverna Dalmacija, Srednja i Južna Dalmacija and Dingač. Grapes of traditional local varieties are allowed to dry on the bunches beyond the ripening period to obtain at least 150° Oe (degrees Oechsle) of sugar. The wine has a sweet taste and color that ‘ranges from dark yellow with old gold tones to reddish with brown hues,’ with a minimum actual alcohol content of 13 percent. Its production tradition is estimated to date back to the 1800s.
Prošek, the application for recognition
Croatia had applied for Prošek’s protection on 11.12.13, in the aftermath of his accession to the EU (1.7.13). The related procedure had been temporarily suspended, however, due to the technical complexity of preparing this and some other applications.
The application for recognition of the traditional mention was resubmitted to Brussels in July 2021, after the necessary formalities were finalized. And it was preliminarily accepted, after verifying the existence of the conditions for its admissibility.
Prošek, opposition to the application
Italy-through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MiPAAF)-sent an objection to the recognition of the traditional term Prošek to the European Commission on 9.11.21. Deducing, in a 14-page dossier, the homonymy between the two wines and the anteriority of the Italian one.
In fact, at the time of Habsburg rule, Prosecco wine from the now Italian hills was called Prosek in the Germanic language. Its history is documented in some maps of Trieste and the surrounding area dating back to 1585, as well as a 1382 agreement with the Duke of Austria. And Italian producers would fear global consumers’ confusion between the two products.
Much ado about nothing
The hubbub between Rome and Zagreb may continue for years. In Brussels, between counter-deductions and counter-replies, waiting for the European Commission to make a decision. And in Luxembourg, at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), after Brussels decides. The litigation will cost millions in public and private resources but will bring no real benefit to the parties involved, whatever the outcome.
The ‘Friulano’ case should teach us something. Local producers decided to rename their wine this way after the ECJ in 2007 recognized Hungary’s right to exclusive claim to the words Tokaji, Tocai and the like on wines (4,5). Years of battling to get a name change that did not affect sales and prices of either wine, which again were very different.
Challenges and opportunities
The real challenges to be faced in the wine sector pertain to the socio-environmental and economic sustainability of production. And indeed:
– Prosecco DOC-beyond sales and export volumes-still struggles to achieve average prices worthy of the costs of bottles, caps and capsules,
– non-organic vines have a burdensome environmental impact, due to the high consumption of herbicides and pesticides where the Veneto in fact excels,
– conversion to organic-which could improve people’s livelihoods as well as prices and margins-requires significant investment.
Possible synergies
The production areas of Prosecco and Prošek are only a few hundred kilometers apart, the soils and microclimates may share at least some common characteristics, Italy being one of the founding countries and Croatia the latest welcome to the European Union. The two countries by the way have strong economic relations.
The Prosecco-Prošek debate could usefully be converted into a synergy to which special EU co-funded programs could be dedicated, through which both producer groups could:
– experiment with agronomic innovation (e.g., biostimulants, mycorrhizae) to improve soil health and reduce the environmental impact of crops. To the point of achieving conversion to organic, under economical conditions,
– To promote the quality and sustainability of the two wines in the world. As well as that of the relevant territories, which in turn are also worth visiting from the perspective of wine tourism.
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Francesco Dalla Riva. Prosecco, Italian bubbles between history and modernity. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 5.6.18, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/vino-italiano/prosecco_1/prosecco-bollicine-italiane-tra-storia-e-modernità
(2) Francesco Dalla Riva. Prosecco di Conegliano – Valdobbiadene DOCG, 150 years of good wine. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 9.6.18, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/vino-italiano/prosecco_1/prosecco-di-conegliano-valdobbiadene-docg-150-anni-di-buon-vino
(3) Publication of an application for protection of a traditional term under Article 28(3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 supplementing Regulation (EU) No. 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards applications for protection of designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional terms in the wine sector, objection procedure, restrictions on use, amendments to product specifications, cancellation of protection as well as labelling and presentation Publication of an application for protection of a traditional term under Article 28(3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 supplementing Regulation (EU) No. 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on applications for protection of designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional terms in the wine sector, objection procedure, restrictions on use, amendments to product specifications, cancellation of protection as well as labelling and presentation C/2021/6742. On Europa-Lex, https://bit.ly/3lRMxuO
(4) In fact, the 1993 Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Hungary on the reciprocal protection and control of wine names provided that the geographical indications listed in the Annex to the Agreement, including the term Tokaj, were reserved exclusively for wines originating in Hungary
(5) European Court of Justice, judgment 12.6.08. Joined Cases C-23/07 and C-24/07. https://bit.ly/3ycmELt
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
