The National Vintage Report released this week highlights the growth in production of Prosecco grapes in Australia as the sector responds to increased demand for Prosecco.

While most white grape varieties saw a decline in production volumes, Prosecco bucked the trend, increasing by 42% to 9936 tonnes, moving it into the top 10 white varieties for 2019. This continues the steady growth trend we’ve seen in the variety over the past five years.

The growth in Prosecco grape production is mirrored in the domestic wine market, where sales of Prosecco have increased by over 100 per cent in the past two years. Prosecco is now the 11th largest varietal by value in the off-trade retail wine market, according to the report.

While grape production and average prices are highest in King Valley, at over $1000/tonne, wine businesses are now growing Prosecco across 11 Australian regions.

Tony Battaglene, chief executive of Australian Grape & Wine said “It’s great to see Prosecco being embraced by Australian producers and consumers . Australia has been producing great wine from Prosecco gapes for years, which is why we’ve been working so hard to maintain Australian producers’ rights to grow the variety. “

“Not only are the sales of the wine positive, but the average price of grapes is the second highest of any other in the top 10 – almost double that of all other white varieties. At a time when grape and wine businesses in communities across rural and regional Australia are working hard to maintain economic viability, this is a terrific result.”

“We have been disappointed by the efforts of the European Union to protect their producers against any competition through subsidies and cynical attempts to create Geographic Indications of grape varieties.” Said Battaglene.

“There’s no question about Australian producers’ rights to produce, label and sell Australian Prosecco. Maintaining these rights, and ensuring the investments growers and winemakers have made in the variety are on solid ground all comes down to the outcome of our free trade agreement negotiations with the European Union. We’ve already won the fight in Australia from a legal perspective back in 2013, and we are delighted the Australian Government continues to honor this court ruling and back Australia’s grape growers and winemakers” said Battaglene.

Professor Mark Davison of Monash University’s Law Faculty, echoed these points in a media article earlier this week. In the article, Professor Davison cites research published in the Australian Intellectual Property Journal, detailing that Prosecco has been the name of a grape variety since the 18th century, and probably much earlier.

Professor Davison also put Australian Government trade negotiators on notice stating, “Trading dubious geographical indications for access to European markets is a shortsighted approach that will negatively affect Australian industry.”