Italys ever more popular bubbly, Prosecco, is to apply for official recognition as a certified product of a particular area in the Veneto Region, in order to protect it from the many imitations springing up in countries such as the USA, Brazil, Australia, Austria, Chile and Romania.

Genuine Prosecco is produced in 500 wineries, all situated in 18,000 hilly hectares between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Producers applied to the Italian government for DOCG status of the highest legal category of Italian wines - last October (2008) and now hope to have their area recognized and officially identified as the exclusive home of Prosecco, like the Champagne region of France. One of Italys most successful exports, total production of Prosecco last year amounted to 57 million bottles, 15 million of which were exported.