The DOC Prosecco consortium continues its global fight to protect its designation of origin. In a recent victory, they successfully challenged an English confectionery manufacturer selling sweets in phallic shapes labeled as "Prosecco" in various countries, including Italy, in a Venice court. According to the Italian portal Wine News, the company has been ordered to cease production and distribution of these controversial candies. The DOC Prosecco consortium claims to have examined over 50,000 internationally sold items for violations of origin protection and issued nearly 200 warnings in 2023 alone.
Protective heritage
Recently, the consortium won a legal battle against Australian Prosecco producers in Singapore. Following this recent case, they are now considering expanding their global monitoring activities beyond wines to encompass other products such as cosmetics, candles, and perfumes. The new EU regulation for designations of origin, which also includes guidelines for the use of protected origin products in other end products, may aid in this endeavor. To strengthen their designation of origin, the grape variety Prosecco was renamed Glera in 2010.
In response to inquiries from the German wine trade magazine Weinwirtschaft regarding whether the contested sweets contained Prosecco as an ingredient and the identity of the manufacturer, the consortium has not yet provided a response. The consistency of the Prosecco phalluses is also unclear. While Wine News generally refers to them as "caramelle," meaning candies, The Limited Times has reported them as "gummies." A brief online search reveals “Prosecco Bonbons” at Universal Yums and “Prosecco Gummy Bottles” at A Quarter Of..., both of which are currently listed as “out of stock” and do not appear in the phallus form.
