The EU Official Journal has published Croatia's application to protect the traditional name of "Prosek," the Ministry of Agriculture reported on Wednesday.

Seven years after Croatia submitted its application, the EU official journal published Croatia’s application to protect the traditional name of “Prosek”, the ministry said.

That confirms that the application is in line with legal regulations to determine rights with regard to the protected designation of origin, protected geographical indications, traditional terms, labelling and presentation of certain wines and wine sector products.

The publication of the publication also kicks off the two-month deadline for possible objections, which can be submitted by EU member states, third countries or any legal or physical entity that has a legitimate interest. After that period the commission will decide whether to adopt an implementing act awarding protection of the traditional term.

If it is adopted the term “Prosek” will be permitted for wines with geographic designation of origin  – “Dalmatinska Zagora”, “Sjeverna Dalmacija”, “Srednja i Juzna Dalmacija” and “Dingac”, the ministry’s press release said.

Last week Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic underscored that Croatia’s Prosek and Italy’s Prosecco are not the same wine and that Croatia has every right to have its traditional term officially recognised at the European level.

Italy has tried to prevent the protection of Croatia’s dessert wine, claiming that the term Prosek will cause damage to Italy’s Prosecco name.

According to the published application in the EU Official Journal, ‘Prosek’ “is a wine made from technological overriped, raisined grapes which must contain a minimum of 150° Oe (Oechsle degrees) of sugar.”

“It may be red or white wine. Colour may range from dark yellow with shades of old gold to reddish with brown shades. By maturation, ‘Prosek’ gets muted shades due to oxidative aging. The fragrance is described as overripe fruit aroma with a slight woody notes with light oxidation aroma. The flavour of ‘Prosek’ is characterized by fullness which comes in a significant part from the high content of residual sugar (glucose and fructose) and in minor part from ethanol.

‘Prosek’ has a minimum actual alcohol content of 13,0 % vol and at least 20 % vol of total alcohol.