21 Oct 2017 Border Mail, Albury-Wodonga (General News) by Shana Morgan WINERIES in the King Valley are not ready to give up the popular prosecco variety of wine the Italians are trying to claim back as exclusively their own. Sam Miranda King Valley is one of five wineries on what has become known as Prosecco Road, between Oxley and Cheshunt. Mr Miranda called this battle round two with Italy, which tried until 2012 to exclusively link prosecco with the region north of Venice. Theyve tried to claim it as a style, not a variety, he said. We dont want to fight them. Were such a small number compared to the number they produce. No one is producing bad prosecco in Australia, were really helping their name. Free trade agreement negotiations with Europe, which are in the early stages, have reignited the debate. The King Valley region has an 18-year history of growing and producing prosecco grapes, and produces more than half of the wine made in Australia, with total sales worth $22.3 million in 2016. The cool climate at the base of the snowfields is similar to Italys Prosecco Road at the base of the mountains, allowing winemakers to grow grapes in crisp conditions. Mr Miranda said he was worried about the prosecco issue being lumped in with other trade negotiations because it could open up other varieties of wine being excluded from Australian production. It sets a precedent for the whole region, he said. There are more far-reaching implications than it appears on paper. Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford this week backed the King Valleys right to use the prosecco name. The prosecco brand and name has an enormous growth potential and our King Valley producers should have that chance to capitalise. Prosecco Road will further cement Victorias reputation as a global prosecco producer, she said. Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes was also at Parliament House as the bottles were opened in support of the wineries. Our King Valley region in North East Victoria is world renowned for producing some of the finest drops, and were ready to take their prosecco to the world, she said. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.