Prosecco and Prošek, sparkling wine and dessert wine. Possible synergies

On 22.9.21 the European Commission published in the Official Journal the application for recognition of the traditional designation of the dessert wine Prošek, by Croatia.

Italy opposed it, citing the risk of confusion with the sparkling wine Prosecco, which is today the most consumed Italian DOC wine worldwide and records a continuous growth in exports.

The two wines moreover have different, complementary, and not at all competing histories and characteristics. So why not create synergies, instead of wasting money on petty local disputes?

Prosecco and Prošek, Italian sparkling wine and Croatian dessert wine

Prosecco and Prošek they have similar names and come from relatively close areas. However, the two wines differ in several aspects, from the grapes to winemaking practices, organoleptic properties, and consumption occasions:

- Prosecco, as seen, (1) is made from Glera grapes in the territories of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The English writer and traveler Fynes Moryson (1566-1630) reports that the ‘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, while the musts are fermented in autoclave with the Martinotti (or Charmat) method. It is a DOC sparkling wine for every budget, with various expressions reaching superior quality in the DOCG of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, (2)

- Prošek is instead a dessert wine typical of central and southern Dalmatia, in the areas of Dalmatinska zagora, Sjeverna Dalmacija, Srednja i Južna Dalmacija and Dingač. The grapes of traditional local varieties are left to dry on the bunches beyond the ripening period, to obtain at least 150° Oe (Oechsle degrees) of sugar. The wine has a sweet taste and color that ‘varies from dark yellow with old gold tones to reddish with brown shades’, with a minimum actual alcohol content of 13%. Its production tradition is estimated to date back to 1800.

Prošek, the recognition application

Croatia had submitted a protection application for Prošek on 11.12.13, immediately after its entry into the EU (1.7.13). However, the related procedure was temporarily suspended due to the technical complexity of preparing this and some other applications.

The application  for recognition of the traditional designation was resubmitted to Brussels in July 2021, after finalizing the necessary formalities. It was preliminarily accepted, pending verification of the conditions for its admissibility.

Prošek, opposition to the application

Italy – through the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MiPAAF) – sent to the European Commission on 9.11.21 an opposition to the recognition of the traditional designation Prošek. Stating, in a  dossier of 14 pages, the homonymy between the two wines and the precedence of the Italian one.

At the time of Austrian rule in fact, the Prosecco wine from the now Italian hills was called Prosek in the Germanic language. Its history is documented in some maps of Trieste and surroundings dating back to 1585, as well as an agreement from 1382 with the Duke of Austria. Italian producers fear global consumer confusion between the two products.

Much ado about nothing

The noise between Rome and Zagreb may continue for years. In Brussels, between counter-deductions and counter-replies, awaiting the European Commission's decision. And in Luxembourg, at the  European Court of Justice  (ECJ), after Brussels has decided. The dispute will cost millions of euros in public and private resources but will bring no concrete benefit to the parties involved, whatever the outcome.

The 'Friulano' case  should teach something. Local producers decided to rename their wine thus, after the ECJ in 2007 recognized Hungary's right to the exclusive claim of the words Tokaji, Tocai and similar on wines (4.5). Years of battles to obtain a name change which did not affect sales and prices of either wine, also very different from each other in that case.

Challenges and opportunities

The real challenges  to be faced in the wine sector concern the socio-environmental and economic sustainability of productions. And indeed:

– the Prosecco DOC – beyond sales and export volumes – still struggles to achieve average prices worthy of the costs of bottles, corks, and capsules,

– non-organic grape varieties have a heavy environmental impact, due to the high consumption of herbicides and pesticides in which Veneto indeed excels,

– the conversion to organic – which could improve the lives of populations, as well as prices and margins, requires significant investments.

Possible synergies

The production areas  of Prosecco and Prošek are a few hundred kilometers apart, the soils and microclimates could have at least partly common characteristics, Italy is one of the founding countries and Croatia the latest welcome to the European Union. Moreover, the two countries have solid economic relations.

The debate  Prosecco-Prošek could usefully be converted into a synergy to which specific co-financed EU programs could be dedicated, thanks to which both groups of producers could:

– experiment with agronomic innovation (e.g. biostimulants, mycorrhizae), to improve soil health and reduce the environmental impact of crops. Up to achieving organic conversion, under economic conditions,

– promote worldwide the quality and sustainability of the two wines. As well as that of their respective territories, which are also worthy of visiting in 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 of 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 pursuant to 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, the opposition procedure, restrictions on use, amendments to the production specification, cancellation of protection as well as labeling and presentation Publication of an application for protection of a traditional term pursuant to Article 28(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 of the Commission integrating 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, the opposition procedure, restrictions on use, amendments to production specifications, cancellation of protection as well as labeling and presentation C/2021/6742On Europa-Lex,  https://bit.ly/3lRMxuO

(4) The agreement concluded in 1993 between the European Community and the Republic of Hungary on the mutual protection and control of wine denominations indeed provided that the geographical indications listed in the Annex to the Agreement, including the term Tokaj, were reserved exclusively for wines originating from Hungary

(5) European Court of Justice, judgment 12.6.08. Joined cases C-23/07 and C-24/07.  https://bit.ly/3ycmELt