In Australia, Prosecco is indeed referred to as Prosecco. The term “Prosecco” is widely used to describe and market this popular sparkling wine made from the Glera grape variety. However, it is important to note that the use of the term “Prosecco” has become a topic of contention and controversy in recent years.
Traditionally, Prosecco was the name of both the Italian region and the grape variety used to produce the sparkling wine. However, in 2009, the Italian government successfully registered the term “Prosecco” as a protected designation of origin (PDO) within the European Union. This registration meant that only sparkling wine produced in the specific Italian region could be labeled as “Prosecco.”
As part of this registration process, the grape variety used in Prosecco production was officially renamed from Prosecco to Glera. This name change was seen by many Australian Prosecco makers as a deliberate attempt to discourage producers outside of the Italian region from using the grape to make sparkling wine and to protect the regional exclusivity of the term “Prosecco.”
However, despite the registration and the name change, Australian producers continue to use the term “Prosecco” to market their sparkling wines made from the Glera grape. This has led to a debate between Australian and Italian producers, with the latter arguing that the use of the term “Prosecco” by non-Italian producers is misleading and infringing on their protected designation of origin.
The Australian wine industry has argued that “Prosecco” has become a widely recognized and accepted term globally to refer to sparkling wines made from the Glera grape, regardless of their origin. They believe that consumers should have the freedom to use and understand the term “Prosecco” as a grape variety and a style of sparkling wine, rather than being restricted by geographical boundaries.
In response to the controversy, the Australian wine industry has proposed the use of alternative terms, such as “Australian Prosecco,” to differentiate their products from the Italian Prosecco. However, there is yet to be a consensus on the use of these alternative terms, and the debate continues.
Australians still refer to the sparkling wine made from the Glera grape as “Prosecco.” While the term “Prosecco” has become a protected designation of origin in Italy, Australian producers continue to use the term to market their sparkling wines. The debate surrounding the use of the term “Prosecco” by non-Italian producers remains unresolved, with discussions ongoing about the need for alternative terms to differentiate the Australian and Italian products.