Prosecco or prošek? A battle over wine branding is bubbling up between Italy and Croatia

Prosecco is probably the most famous Italian wine, a byword for sparkling good times and popping corks. But behind the fizz, Italy is in a major dispute over whether Croatia can sell a premium dessert wine by the name of prošek in stores across the European Union.

Prošek is made from white grapes grown mainly in the southern region of Dalmatia, using a traditional process that involves sun-drying them on straw mats before they are pressed. The wine sells at a premium because it uses many more grapes per bottle than many other dessert wines, but the name has been banned across the EU since 2013 because of objections from the Italians. Instead, the wine trades under the name Vino Dalmato.

Croatia has been battling to have this overturned ever since. To the fury of Italy, the European Commission has followed up on a recent application by Croatia for prošek to be granted special status under the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin rules. Prosecco has enjoyed this status since 2009, as well as being protected under Italian law dating back to 1969, and Italians say it is “shameful” that Brussels is considering giving equivalent protection to prošek. So who will win?

Battle commences

Croatia tried to start the registration procedure to obtain Protected…

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