Coldiretti: “Californian “CalSecco” is yet another damage to Prosecco made in Italy”

“The spread in the U.S. of a new variant of sparkling wine that recalls our Prosecco puts at risk the sales record set by the most exported Italian wine in the world, with a value that in the States alone has reached almost half a billion euros.” This was stated by Coldiretti, commenting on news of the market launch of “CalSecco”, a sparkling wine, complete with registered trademark, produced in California by Rack & Riddle, a leading company in the industry in the United States. “This is yet another case of Italian Sounding affecting Prosecco”, Coldiretti stresses, “which is also the most imitated Italian wine. This is demonstrated by the presence on supermarket shelves all over the world of German Meer-secco, Kressecco, Semisecco, Consecco and Perisecco, without forgetting Austrian Whitesecco, Russian Prosecco and Crisecco from Moldova. In Brazil in the Rio Grande area, several producers claim the right to continue using the name Prosecco under the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries”, the agricultural organization recalls.
“Introducing CalSecco, a brand new style of sparkling wine! This elegant and refreshing brut is made with the Charmat Method from select grape varieties grown 100 percent in California and showcases a vibrant symphony of bright, floral and fruity flavors”, states the California-based producer’s website, where the wine (sold for $18 a bottle) is already sold out.
Overall, the market for imitations of Italian wine in the world is worth more than a billion euros. A business that, especially in the U.S., Coldiretti stresses, could find a further boost from the possible imposition of tariffs on European wine, especially with the threat of an additional tariff of 200% that would make up to 70-80% of Italian wine disappear from tables in the stars and stripes, according to an estimate by the Wine Council of the agricultural organization. Which concludes, pointing out that “it is precisely the Americans who are leading the ranking of the biggest tarotters with a production of Italian Sounding that has exceeded 40 billion in value, from wine to cheese, from cold cuts to tomato puree”.