New Zealand Prosecco is about to be made

New Zealand are about to plant Prosecco or Glera grapes - to differentiate it from the protected Prosecco source in Italy's Veneto. The grapes have been released from quarantine. The Prosecco clone VCR (from the Italian Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo) 101 which was imported from Australia has spent the last 4 years in quarantine and is now being grafted onto rootstocks from Gisbourne's Riversun Nurseries. A company called Prosecco NZ is being set up to promote the new venture. Steve Voysey who consults for New Zealand's largest wine business Indevin plans to plant 160 hectares of the grape over the next 2 years. A prosecco style wine is already available from a Marlborough producer which is made from a combination of Riesling Muller Thurgau and Pinot Gris. If the wine is exported to the EU it won't be allowed to have the name Prosecco on the label but if sold in NZ and Australia it can.