CROATIA WILL JOIN THE EUROPEAN UNION ON JULY 1, 2013 AND FROM THAT DATE CAN NO LONGER USE THE NAME "PROSEK" FOR ITS SWEET WINE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE THE ITALIAN PROSECCO. THE CROATIAN PRODUCERS ARE PROMISING A BATTLE.

On one hand, there is the Italian Prosecco wine, probably the most famous bubbly wine (Charmat) in the world at the moment; on the other, the Croatian Prosek, which is a different thing -a sweet wine. But the name sounds too similar to the Italian DOC wine (and DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore version), so as Croatia prepares to enter (starting July 1, 2013) the European Union, Croatian producers will have to adapt to the rules and change the name on the label of their wine. This was established by the EU, in a story reminiscent of the quarrel between the now ex Tocai Friulano and Hungarian Tokaji wines, also different from each other, but whose name is so similar, that according to the EU it might lead to confusion on the market, and whose exclusive use (since 2007) is the prerogative of Hungary. But, as the affair between the Italian Tocai (now Friulano) and Hungarian Tokaji lasted years, this new confrontation between Italy and Croatia is not likely to be resolved so quickly, since Croatian producers promise battle in institutional settings.