WSTA pours cold water on ‘British Fizz’ PGI bid

The WSTA has poured cold water on a bid to register ‘British Fizz’ as a protected name for English sparkling wine, saying it was a “side-show” in the run-up to the triggering of Article 50 of Brexit.

It follows db’s exclusive news last week that Bob Lindo, who founded Camel Valley in Cornwall, was working on registering the term British Fizz as a protected designation of origin (PDO).

Speaking to db’s editor Patrick Schimtt at a UKVA’s reception and dinner in London last week, Lindo’s son Sam Lindo said the term ‘British Fizz’ had been coined by New York outlet Jones Wood pub in New York City, which was tweeted by importer the British Bottle Company on 5 January.

He argued it was a brand name English wine producers should consider using and revealed his plans to register the terms ‘British Fizz’, ‘British Sparkling’ and ‘Wine from Great Britain’ in collaboration with the UKVA.

However this week, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) played down the move to protect the name with the EU in the present climate as unnecessary especially as this did not have the full support of the English and Welsh wine industries.

“There has been much discussion among the English sparkling wine makers on whether there should be a generic name for its world class quality product,” he said. The majority of producers have been happy to call it English sparkling wine – which already has some currency – but most also recognise that a catchy shorter name could help to boost exports,” he said.

“The WSTA would like to see English sparkling wine makers taking a decision to get behind an agreed generic name. There’s no need for a PGI application in order to do this. Any application for a “British Fizz” PGI is a side show right now  – especially while it does not have the full support of the English sparkling wine industry and when we are just weeks away from triggering Article 50.”

He argued that it was more important to persuade the government to create a level playing field for English winemakers and cut the “punishing” duty in the Budget in March,

“With the UK wine industry facing a tough time ahead as we exit the EU what’s much more important is for the World’s biggest wine industry to unite behind the WSTA’s effort to persuade Government to end its punishing treatment for wine and to cut duty at the Budget in March, including a level playing field for English wine makers.”

It should be noted that currently, ‘English Wine’ and ‘Welsh Wine’ are the protected terms for wine made and grown in England and Wales respectively, while the term ‘British Wine’ refers to wine made in Great Britain from imported grape juice concentrate.