A scholarship in memory of Valerio Cescon for the University of Pollenzo

On 25 June, as part of the ceremony dedicated to the Supporters of the Scholarships for the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, a particularly significant moment for the Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco DOC took place. For the third year running, the Consortium awarded a scholarship in memory of Valerio Cescon, an esteemed man considered by all to be wise and far-sighted, who died prematurely in 2022.

Underlining the importance of this gesture is the President of the Consortium, Giancarlo Guidolin, who says:
‘We wanted to remember Valerio Cescon, a key figure in the development of the Prosecco system, through a scholarship to bear witness to what he firmly believed in: culture, preparation and vision are fundamental tools to face the future challenges of our sector with awareness. The University of Pollenzo is a symbol of these values, shared by the Consortium and the entire production system. This initiative confirms itself as a valuable opportunity to strengthen the link between the worlds of education and production, promoting an exchange of skills between generations, under the banner of quality and innovation’.

This commitment is part of a broad spectrum of actions implemented by the Consortium in the field of research and training, areas to which more than one and a half million euros are allocated each year, in order to contribute to the cultural and professional development of the entire sector.

The lucky winners of past GPs

13 July 2025 – Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany

Winner: Marc Marquez

The solution on the quiz:

How do you recognize an authentic bottle of Prosecco DOC? It has the State band on the neck of the bottle

The 3 winners of this week’s 6-bottle boxes are:

 

29 June 2025 – Motul TT Assen

Winner: Marc Marquez

The solution on the quiz:

In which regions can Prosecco DOC be produced? Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia

The 3 winners of this week’s 6-bottle boxes are:

 

22 June 2025 – Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo

Winner: Marc Marquez

The solution on the quiz:

In which year did Prosecco DOC obtain the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) designation? 2009

The 3 winners of this week’s 6-bottle boxes are:

 

8 June 2025 – Gran Premio GoPro de Aragòn

Winner: Marc Marquez

The solution on the quiz:

Which of the following statements is true? Prosecco DOC is produced exclusively with the Charmat-Martinotti method

The 3 winners of this week’s 6-bottle boxes are:

 

25 May 2025 – Tissot British Grand Prix

Winner: Marco Bezzecchi

The solution on the quiz:

What is the main grape variety from which Prosecco DOC is produced?? Glera

The 3 winners of this week’s 6-bottle boxes are:

 

No win? You can try at the next GP!

 

The more you play, the higher chances you have to win a box of Prosecco DOC bottles and participate in the draw of the final prizes, that include a MotoGP™ Vip Village Experience, MotoGP™ Live Experience and a Jeroboam bottle with MotoGP™ edition label.

OAPI countries recognise the Geographical Indication and Kenya registers the trademark

The Prosecco DOC Protection Consortium is pleased to announce two important milestones in the international protection of the appellation: on 28 February 2025, the registration of the Prosecco trademark in Kenya was made official, while on 31 December 2024, the countries belonging to the OAPI* (African Intellectual Property Organisation) recognised the Geographical Indication. It is therefore official that only Prosecco that complies with the production regulations can be marketed under this name in Kenya and in OAPI territories, protecting Italian consumers and producers.

In Kenya, the trademark registration is valid for ten years from 29 May 2024, while the application submitted to OAPI is valid indefinitely. Both procedures were completed without any opposition from third parties.

The African continent, which is still marginal in terms of export volumes (0.2%), is establishing itself as an area of great potential for the future of Italian exports. With a young population and a steadily growing middle class that is increasingly oriented towards global markets, Africa is proving to be a strategic market for long-term development.

“Over the years, the Consortium has pursued a structured and forward-looking strategy to protect the designation, extending the protection of Prosecco in the main international markets through trademark or geographical indication registration. Today, the focus is on countries with high strategic potential, characterised by a strong influx of tourists and particularly dynamic economic growth prospects, such as the African continent. The recent recognitions will be useful tools for the Consortium to evaluate future actions, always aiming to increase exports to these new emerging markets as well,”

 

*The Organisation comprises 17 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad and Togo.

A journey into culture

The Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC is already a protagonist at Expo 2025 in Osaka, with a double presence that testifies to the cultural and symbolic value of the most exported Italian wine in the world.

Prosecco Day – Italian Pavilion

The week dedicated to the Veneto Region is coming to an end inside the Italian Pavilion, where the Consortium participated, in collaboration with the Consorzi di Tutela del Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG and Asolo DOCG, in the organization of Prosecco Day, an event held on Monday, May 5.

The day offered an opportunity to tell the international audience about the history, values and future of Prosecco, through the conference “From Tradition to Contemporary Production – The Challenges of Prosecco from Veneto between Innovation and Sustainability” , moderated by ICE Tokyo Director Gianpaolo Bruno, which featured speeches by Marco Sozzi, TESAF Researcher, University of Padua, Tanja Barattin of the Prosecco DOC Consortium, Diego Tomasi of the Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Consortium and Shigeru Hayashi representing the Prosecco Asolo DOCG Consortium.
Afterwards, the Japanese guests, specially selected from the media, influencers and industry professionals, were able to attend the talk “Discover Prosecco: identities and territories,” led by Ikeda Masakatsu, which featured tastings of 3 types of Prosecco DOC, Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG and Asolo DOCG, presented by their respective brand ambassadors: Akira Mizuguchi for Prosecco DOC and Shigeru Hayashi for Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG and Prosecco Asolo DOCG. To conclude, a cocktail party in the Eataly restaurant, also inside the Italian Pavilion, to taste Prosecco DOC in a convivial atmosphere.

Prosecco DOC: Official Sparkling Wine Partner of the Holy See.

For the duration of the Expo (from April 13 to October 13, 2025), Prosecco DOC will be Official Sparkling Wine Partner of the Holy See Pavilion, accompanying with its bubbles all the official events of the Pavilion. The collaboration represents a recognition of Prosecco’s value as an ambassador of Italian excellence. The theme of the Vatican pavilion, “Beauty Brings Hope,” finds deep harmony with the Consortium’s mission, which is committed to promoting Italian culture through art and wine.
Sealing this bond is the exceptional exhibition of the work The Deposition of Christ by Caravaggio, for the first time in Japan thanks to the contribution of the Prosecco DOC Consortium. A masterpiece that speaks a language that has no boundaries, capable of connecting people with different cultures.

 

“Being present in both of these contexts is a source of great pride,” says President Guidolin. “Japan is a market with great prospects for our wine. Expo 2025 represents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our presence in Asia, promoting the values of quality, authenticity and sharing that define Prosecco DOC, a symbol of an Italy that knows how to tell its story to the world through its history and beauty.”

The Consortium is in Brazil together with the Veneto Region

The Prosecco DOC Consortium participated for the first time in Wine South America, held May 6-8, 2025 in Bento Gonçalves, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The event represented an important opportunity for the Consortium to consolidate the deep connection between Veneto and South America: the presence of the DOC, in fact, was part of the initiatives celebrating 150 years of Venetian emigration to Brazil.

 

Brazil, with a population of more than 200 million inhabitants, of which 30 million are of Italian origin, represents a market of absolute importance in the international context, given also the current climate of uncertainty. Of the 660 million bottles of Prosecco DOC, only 1 million are destined for the green-gold country and, despite the strong competition from Brazilian sparkling wines, the interest in the Italian spirit and products that recall their origins was confirmed by the high turnout at the Consortium’s stand and at the organized masterclasses, also held in the “tajan” language similar to the Venetian dialect, which told the story, human ingenuity, and geographical peculiarities of a corner of Italy called Prosecco.

 

The occasion, given the meetings with local authorities in the presence of Veneto Region Councillor Cristiano Corazzari and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Councillor Stefano Zannier, was also to reiterate the Italian identity of the Prosecco appellation, with no exceptions whatsoever, in fact, regardless of the exploitation of the notoriety of the term, both territories would lose out, ours in that confusion would be generated to the consumer about the origin, theirs because they would be going to enhance a territory 7,500 km away.

 

Protection of the Denomination

The protection of the Controlled Designation of Origin “Prosecco” in Brazil is, in fact, a strategic objective for the Consortium, given the presence, albeit limited, of local production labeled as “prosecco.” A significant step in this direction is represented by the conclusion of the negotiations for the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, which provides for a ten-year phasing out period for the cessation of the use of the term “Prosecco” in reference to wine produced locally under this designation. However, the actual entry into force of the agreement, expected no earlier than 2027, remains subject to its ratification by the European institutions.

The formula with which the event was organized was also appreciated by the producers; in fact, the morning was dedicated exclusively to meetings with importers and distributors, while the afternoon was also for restaurateurs, sommeliers, media and all winelovers.

Ten wineries represented the Denomination: Beato Bartolomeo da Breganze, Ca’ Bolani, Cielo e terra, La gioiosa, Mionetto, Pitars, Transit, Villa Sandi, Vitevis and Voga.

Adeus Brasil.

 

Given the analyses carried out in the past months, the Consortium renews the program of “Aperioperatori” appointments, specifically:

At this link:Aperioperatori 2025  the poster indicating links to confirm participation (registration for the in-person event will be possible while places last) – and those to participate in the live Youtube broadcasts.

 

As usual, at the beginning of the growing season, the Vineyard Vademecum 2025 is available, the result of collaboration between the Prosecco DOC and Vini Venezia Consortia and with the valuable contribution of Fiorello Terzariol.

The Vademecum is an easy and concrete tool to better plan vineyard defence and introduces the Prosecco DOC Consortium’s path towards Sustainable Denomination.

Click here to download the Vademecum-Viticolo-2025.

For further information contact the Consortium offices: ricerca@consorzioprosecco.it

 

The European Campaign to Defend Wine and Conviviality.

On the occasion of Vinitaly, the Consorzio di Tutela della DOC Prosecco hosted the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV), together with UIV and Federvini, at the Prosecco DOC Theatre – stand B4 hall 4 – for the presentation of the VITÆVINO campaign. The event was attended by Marzia Varvaglione (President of CEEV), Gaya Ducceschi (Head of Campaign, CEEV), Carmen Caruccio (Senior Policy Adviser, UIV) and Francesca Migliarucci (Head of International and Communication Area, Federvini), with the opportunity for the audience to sign the Declaration and ask questions in front of a good glass of wine.

“VITÆVINO promotes the cultural and socioeconomic value of wine and the distinction between moderate consumption and alcohol abuse. It is crucial to protect the role of wine especially at this stage when the sector is struggling both because of declining consumption, because of tariffs and because of various unfair attacks from the health world. I invite you to join VITÆVINO and support our precious sector,” says Marzia Varvaglione, President of CEEV.

“The Consortium is pleased to have hosted three prestigious associations of international significance in its pavilion. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the speakers for their valuable and stimulating contributions, which have given greater strength to this important initiative. – declares the Luca Giavi, Director of the Consortium – The message of the campaign is noble and of fundamental value, so we invite everyone to sign the Declaration.”

To join the campaign and sign the Declaration: www.vitaevino.org

IPZS together with the Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC with Microsoft technologies is training the AI to protect the most beloved wine and wine lovers around the world

It is the most important cultural and commercial challenge of the moment, and Prosecco is winning it. The Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato with the Consorzio di tutela del Prosecco Doc, and through Microsoft technologies, has embarked on an AI training programme that aims to create a vertical agent, a “super digital sommelier”, an expert on Prosecco, to be made available to enthusiasts around the world (with more than 30 languages already available), to offer maximum protection, maximum guarantee and maximum awareness in the consumption of one of the most iconic Italian excellences. Because there is no protection without valorisation.

As part of the project’s experimentation – officially announced in August 2024 – the chat with Artificial Intelligence was trained by IPZS through hundreds of documents provided by the Prosecco DOC Consortium. The results of this process, still in the beta phase, are not yet perfect, but they are encouraging. In an examination of the level of preparation carried out by the Consortium, the chatbot – despite a few slips and rigidities typical of AI – proved capable of correctly answering even the most complex questions, of going into the merits of sophisticated technical topics (on the production of the world’s most famous bubbles), of giving indications, suggestions for consumption (there are plenty of recipes on the chatbot) and of resolving even the most bizarre doubts (such as on the use of Prosecco during a diet), of enthusiasts, experts or occasional consumers. For example, if you ask ‘how do you close the bottle correctly?’ the answer is only one: you share. But the chat hasn’t learnt that yet. But in life, examinations never end, especially in sectors as endless and elusive as wine, and so the project underwent an extraordinary session.

Vinitaly 2025

In fact, today at Vinitaly, at the “Prosecco DOC Theatre” (stand B4 hall 4 ), the Consortium welcomed Annalisa De Luca – Head of Innovation, Research and Product Strategy at the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato – and Gerardo Gabriele Volpone – Tech Strategist and Sustainability Community Italy lead for Microsoft – to talk about the project and, in particular, to test the chat and continue to teach her a great deal about the world of Prosecco DOC: an opportunity to find out more about how this ‘digital sommelier’ works and test her with all kinds of questions. The public present was able to interact directly with the chat, ask her questions, listen to her answers and, above all, give her feedback to help her improve. Yes, because that is exactly how AI learns: with the questions and suggestions of those who use it! Anyone can access the portal https://ia.ipzs.it/ and challenge their knowledge. The important thing is to remember to leave feedback: the more it receives, the more accurate and reliable it becomes. Of course, all feedback will be verified by the Poligrafico and the Consortium, so that the quality and correctness of the information is always guaranteed. For this reason, the Consortium, Microsoft Italia and the Poligrafico invite everyone to ask her questions and contribute to her training. Because, although technology continues to evolve, digital will always need the human touch.

 

Statements:

Luca Giavi, Director Consorzio Prosecco DOC

‘I too asked the chat a few questions, and was impressed by its promptness in answering. Of course, sometimes it still needs a hand, but that is precisely the most interesting aspect: we can contribute directly to its growth. This project is fascinating because it combines state-of-the-art technology with irreplaceable human intervention. Discovering what lies behind the scenes of such innovative tools, between great potential and critical issues to be refined, is a truly inspiring experience. I invite everyone to interact with the chat: the more we use it, the more expert it will become in the world of Prosecco DOC and will be able to respond punctually to those who ask it for help.”

Annalisa De Luca, Head of Innovation, Research Strategy and Product at the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato

‘With this chat, the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato takes a concrete step towards innovation in the service of quality and authenticity. Prosecco DOC is one of the most appreciated symbols of Made in Italy in the world, but for this very reason it is also among the most exposed to the risk of imitations. This project was created to accompany the consumer in an informed purchasing experience, offering clear, verified and accessible information in real time. The use of generative artificial intelligence was decisive in the design of the chat: it allowed us to create a virtual assistant capable not only of recognising and interpreting complex data, but also of dialoguing with users in a natural and personalised way. It is a powerful technology that enhances the Italian wine and food heritage and opens up new avenues for the digital protection of Made in Italy.”

Gerardo Volpone, Tech Strategist and Sustainability Community Italy lead for Microsoft

“We are happy to support through Microsoft technologies and expertise this project that confirms how innovation can contribute to the growth of the realities of our territory, preserving tradition and opening it to new development perspectives. With this chat we can all interact in a simple and direct way with Generative Artificial Intelligence and promote knowledge and protection of the world of Prosecco DOC throughout the world.”

Presentation of the book “Tutto in una notte”

The meeting was further enriched by the presence of Adua Villa: journalist, writer and Brand Ambassador of Prosecco DOC, she presented her “Tutto in una notte”, the first book on wine and AI: “We are only at the beginning of a path that will lead us to be more and more vertical on the topics that interest us. AI is a revolutionary support tool that has already changed our lives’.