“This is not Prosecco!”: the campaign against fake Italian wine on tap in the UK

Prosecco on tap or in cans doesn't exist, but English consumers don’t know this. This is the reason why, therefore, the Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC launched the “This is not Prosecco!” marketing campaign in the United Kingdom to combat counterfeiting of one of the most famous brands of Italian sparkling wines in the world. The initiative immediately triggered a reaction from the lobby of English vendors of draught wine, who defined the initiative of the Prosecco producers “out of touch with market demand”.
The communication campaign - including 880 posters put up - started in London, The aim of the campaign is to protect consumers fond of the Italian denomination. “The communication campaign launched in the United Kingdom in December 2023”, Stefano Zanette, president of Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC, stated, “was designed and implemented to protect the consumer. It is important to know that Prosecco can only be sold in bottles and that selling wines called Prosecco on tap is a fraudulent act. The Protection Office works daily, in collaboration with local authorities, to fight the continuous phenomena of inappropriately using the term “Prosecco” to sell sparkling wines. The Consortium’s commitment, considering the growing severity of the problem in the United Kingdom, will be evermore determined over the next few months, to guarantee English consumers that when they order Prosecco, Prosecco DOC is served”.
“There is no Prosecco on draught”, Luca Giavi, director of the Consortium, added “but the idea has come from a lack of knowledge and awareness, of both the professionals in the sector and the consumers. Selling sparkling wine on tap is legitimate, but it cannot be called Prosecco. Our Prosecco DOC has this name because it respects the specification that determines a series of parameters making it unique and certified. This is the reason that choosing the original is always better than a banal imitation”.