The current Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadine DOC zone will become a DOCG, effective Aug. 1, Decanter reports.
The name of the new DOCG will be Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, and the sparkling wines will have the words “DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore” on their labels.
In a statement, the Consorzio per la Tutela del Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene said, “From Aug. 1, all Prosecco will be protected both within and outside Europe. Producers making Prosecco from outside the DOCG and DOC region will have to use the new grape name Glera (an ancestor of the Prosecco grape) on their labels instead of Prosecco.”
Consorzio President Franco Adami said, “In 1969, when we obtained the DOC, [Prosecco] was grown exclusively in the 15 communes lying between the small towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. However, in the last few decades… its cultivation has gradually spread. Given this situation, we had to take action to protect the name Prosecco.”
