The History of Prosecco
Prosecco is the celebration drink and the name is synonymous with fun. A day event can effortlessly transition to evening as you sip on this fresh sparkling white wine while you chat, laugh, and dance. It is a versatile drink, and not too proud to be mixed into cocktails but it is hard to go past an Aperol Spritz or Limoncello Spritz on a warm day. It is light, refreshing, and has a lower alcohol percentage than its non-sparkling counterparts. Celebrated internationally by World Prosecco Day and in The Prosecco Festival, an annual event in Melbourne.
Prosecco was first grown in Australia in 2000, the production and consumption have grown rapidly yet are still on the rise. In 2019 it made the top 10 white varieties in Australia while most white varieties saw a decline. But it is not all peachy in the world of Prosecco production in Australia. The contentious issue is in the name Prosecco and how it has evolved from a grape variety to a region. In 2009 the name of the grape was changed from Prosecco to Glera and the European Union (EU) registered Prosecco as a geographical indication (GI) in a bid to restrict countries like Australia from selling Prosecco in the EU market. The intent is to obtain the same level of protection as Champagne has in France. If they had their way, this grape variety would not be able to be made outside the Prosecco geographical region which lies in the northeast of Italy.
So for now, keep enjoying the celebrations that Prosecco so effortlessly brings and we will keep the production going.