Italian Winemakers Threaten Legal Action Against British Pubs for Selling Prosecco on Tap

A consortium of prosecco manufacturers has reportedly contacted the
United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency and Intellectual Property Office to
threaten legal action under EU trading regulations against British wine bars
and pubs that refuse to stop serving the sparkling wine from a keg. Prosecco
sales apparently surpassed those of its rival, champagne, for the first time in
2014, and in the same year the United Kingdom replaced Germany as the top
export market for prosecco.

“If prosecco is sold on tap then it is no longer prosecco—it needs to be
served directly from the bottle,” Luca Giavi, director of the consortium, told
The Telegraph. The winemakers cite a 2009 European law which states that
“prosecco wine shall be marketed exclusively in traditional glass bottles,” and
the president of the consortium, Stefano Zanettin, asserted that violations
can merit fines ranging from €2,000 to €20,000. Michele Anzaldi, a member
of the Italian Parliament’s agricultural commission, has pledged support for
the consortium’s efforts. “The government will act immediately, in conjunction with the EU, against the United Kingdom and the incorrect serving
of prosecco in British pubs,” he was quoted as saying. “We will find out if
sanctions have already been applied and if not how best we can discourage
further violations that are damaging a valuable sector of our economy.” See
The Telegraph and The Independent, January 7, 2015.

Issue 551