Experts have revealed how to tell if your bottle of Prosecco is fake – by checking the letters printed on the label.
All bottles of Prosecco should either have ‘DOC’ or ‘DOCG’ in order to prove its origin.
‘DOC’ stands for the Italian for ‘Denomination of Controlled Origin’, while ‘DOCG’ stands for the ‘Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin’.
Experts advise emailing the Prosecco DOC or DOG bodies if you have any concerns, or using an app to scan the label.
It comes as a wine inspector from the Food Standards Agency revealed a spike in sparkling wines in eastern Europe being sold as Prosecco.
Experts have revealed how to tell if your bottle of Prosecco is genuine or not (file photo)
Adrian Smith, founder and chief drinker of Sypped, advised Prosecco drinkers to check for ‘DOC’ or ‘DOCG’ on the label.
Speaking to the Independent, he also advised emailing the respective bodies to check if the Prosecco has been verified by them.
Smith told the publication: ‘They should know who is producing wine within their respective appellations.’
He also suggested using a label scanning app like Vivino to check whether the Prosecco is genuine.
All bottles of Prosecco should either have ‘DOC’ (above) or ‘DOCG’ in order to prove its origin
‘This tight community are usually in the know when it comes to counterfeit goods that have been in the news, so a simple scroll through the comments will allow you to see if it’s already been flagged by others,’ he said.
His tips should come in useful as Food Standard Agency wine inspector Mark Dawson has warned that there has been a rise in sparkling wine being passed off as Prosecco.
Last month, the FSA found a shipment of counterfeit Prosecco in Coventry that turned out to be sparkling wine from Europe.
Prosecco has to be produced in Italy, with its name coming from the village of Prosecco near Trieste.
Prosecco DOC is produced in nine Italian provinces, while Prosecco DOCG can only be made in Veneto and Asolo.
Experts advise emailing the Prosecco DOC or DOG bodies if you have any concerns, or using an app to scan the label