“Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG” is the only correct brand name

The Denomination must be protected as “Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg”, and its sparkling wine as “Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg”. Anything that may create a misunderstanding with respect to the Denomination will be further opposed through strengthening the Consortium’s control and supervision office and the activity of its law consultancy firms. Furthermore, monitoring and control actions have been launched on all the definitions used by third parties to name events, exhibitions, promotional initiatives and/or communications that take place in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area and use the word Prosecco. The issue has been discussed over the last few months among the main players in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which WineNews reported explaining the yes to the “Prosecco System” and the no to the “Prosecco Hills” without Conegliano Valdobbiadene. The object was to form a single idea to promote the Denomination, and protect the territory in all forms of communication including third parties. Participants in the discussion included the Consorzio di Tutela del Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG and the producers, who exchanged views to find new points of agreement at the Board of Directors assembly on October 24th, in which the first six signatories of the requests addressed to the Consortium participated. They have now repeated that the protection of the identity of the Denomination is the cohesive force of the Consortium.
The discussion, a note from the Consortium has stated, has led to creating a new synergy and dialogue between the Board of Directors and the members, both fully aware of the value of the territory that needs to be protected. On one hand, rules, regulations and means strengthen an identity, while on the other, the activities of members can bring about change through their ideas and actions. The participants agreed that communication that does not enhance the specificity of places through explicitly displaying their geographical names, is deceptive and misleading.
The Consortium has promoted the initial actions towards event promoters to ensure that if they are organized within the boundaries of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco denomination, they can rightfully call the denomination in their name. There is also an agreement with the managers of the “Prosecco Marathon” on the correct use of the name Prosecco, in the final stages, and they are studying how to control the names of other well-known events held in the area that include the word Prosecco.
Furthermore, the Consortium has committed to collaborating with the UNESCO Association in the future to ensure that the names of the Denominations are used correctly. In this regard, the Association has already provided for new signage of the Cammino, which will replace the existing one within a few weeks, and which has already been replaced on their website and the Google maps marker. The objective of the activity to redefine names of initiatives taking place in the territory is to coordinate and make communication of the Name more and more effective at all levels. The Board of Directors withdrew its participation in the experimental project, “Prosecco Hills Link”, and supported suspension of the service from September10, 2023. If there are any intentions to propose the initiative again, the project will have to be completely revised in its graphic format, the name one wants to give to the service, and its contents.
Finally, the discussion of the Board of Directors and the spokespersons resulted in the need to prepare a “code of conduct” aimed at all the players on the DOCG territory with their services and activities. It was agreed that a codification of the rules must be followed to use trademarks and names aiming to avoid improper use, which could generate confusion for the visitor and consumer. The “code of conduct”, following the Consortiums’s approval, will subsequently be shared with the organizations and main players in the area. The Consortium and the spokesperson member producers will also continue to work together on other brands and situations that may emerge, and could be in conflict with the protection, through stricter controls and subsequent discussions to create a more holistic and far-sighted vision.