Gripes about grapes as EU says Croatian Prosek wine sounds too much like Italian Prosecco

(Independent) - Andro Tomic raised a glass of his beloved Prosek while underwater in a sight-seeing submarine, looked at the rich, amber wine and wondered wryly whether it was the only place where it may be safe from the reach of the bureaucracy of Brussels.

Prosek has been an intrinsic part of the social culture of these parts, the skills of production, from a variety of grapes planted centuries ago, passed down through generations, the drink of choice at private and public celebrations.

But all that is now in jeopardy. Croatia, the latest member of the European Union, has been given an early taste of one of the union's more unpalatable laws. Prosek, it has been decided, sounds too much like the Italian Prosecco and must be given a new identity. The fact that it is a heavy desert wine while the latter is light and sparkling does not cut any ice with the officials: rules, they points out, are rules.

Mr Tomic, whose wines have won international awards, was on board a bright red miniature submarine, recently launched to provide sight-seeing for visitors to Hvar. The island on the Adriatic is doing extremely well out of the tourist trade. As well as miles of azure blue seas, valleys carpeted by wildflowers, Unesco World Heritage sites and arts festivals, Prosek, the locals point out, is one of reasons