Italians gearing up for row with Australia over use of Nero d'Avolo name
Italy is gearing up for another battle with Australia over the use of the name Nero d’Avola, similar to its ongoing row regarding the use of the name Prosecco.
The southern Italian grape variety is becoming more widely planted in Australia where it thrives in hotter, drier regions.
Earlier this year Italy registered an Avola GI (geographic indication or regional name), as it did with Prosecco when it changed the official name of the grape variety to Glera, and is now arguing that other countries don’t have the right to use the name Prosecco as it is a regional geographic name.
The next step is likely to be an effort by the Italians to ban international trade in non-Italian Nero d’Avolo wines.
However, Avola is a city in Sicily, and Nero d’Avola is widely used as the grape’s name, whether grown around Avola or not. With Prosecco, some – though not all - Italian examples include a GI such as Prosecco di Valdobbiadene and Prosecco di Conegliano.
Wine Australia said it does not consider the use of the grape variety Nero d’Avola to be a GI claim, adding that the grape is “a common internationally recognised grape variety produced in Australia and internationally.”
The wine body said that the sale, export of import of a wine carrying the Nero d’Avolo would not amount to a false or misleading description and would not constititue an offence.