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Napa Valley Vintners secures Certification Mark protection in UK ahead of Brexit

Published:  24 May, 2018

Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) has secured Certification Mark protection for the Napa Valley name in the UK.

NVV, which comprises 550 winery members, said it had taken the action as a proactive measure ahead of Brexit, having previously obtained Geographic Indication (GI) Status for Napa Valley as a protected name in the European Union in 2007.

However, with the UK’s March 29, 2019 scheduled withdrawal from the EU, continued protection for the Napa Valley name was no longer guaranteed post-Brexit, it said.

“Obtaining a Certification Mark in the UK assures us that the Napa Valley name will be protected regardless of what happens with Brexit,” said Pat Stotesbery, chair of the NVV’s Napa Name Protection Committee.

Wine consumers in “the important UK export market” could as a result of the certification continue to have confidence that when they enjoyed a wine with ‘Napa Valley’ on the label, the “quality and excellence” the region stood for would be found in the bottle, added Stotesbery.

In addition to becoming the first American wine region to obtain GI status in the EU in 2007, Napa Valley was also the first wine region in the world to earn GI status in the People’s Republic of China in 2012.

The NVV has obtained name protection assurances for Napa Valley from more than a dozen other countries.

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