From the delight of the palates to the ruin of the teeth: while prosecco is depopulating in Great Britain, with 40 million liters exported in 2016, it ends up under the lens of newspapers such as the Daily Mail and the Guardian, accused of ruining the high acidity. The online Mail has collected the statements of some dentists who point the finger at prosecco for the presence of carbon dioxide, in addition to sugars and alcohol. Even the Guardian, with a comment by Zoe Williams, invites us to “avoid Prosecco” to preserve the smile. In the past, English dentists had also raised an alarm on fruit juices and their acidity, which was considered dangerous for the enamel of the teeth of children. The Italian portal London Italy immediately replied to the statements of the Guardian and Daily Mail, according to which it is a "fake news" promoted by the beer lobby.
Even from Italy the reactions were not long in coming. The Minister of Agricultural Policies Maurizio Martina invites the Guardian with a tweet to “tell the truth: Prosecco makes even the British smile! Stop fake news thanks ". The governor of Veneto Luca Zaia observes that "this product does not need to defend itself from such bullshit" and the governor of Friuli Debora Serracchiani jokes about it: "I believe that after Brexit in Great Britain there is a need to help citizens to return to to smile". For Coldiretti it is “A clumsy attempt to discredit Prosecco”.
For Sistema Prosecco, which represents the three protection Consortia, "The statements of the English press speak for themselves from a technical point of view, evidently speaking of Prosecco, in whatever way it is done, is used by newspapers to sell more copies or make more clicks on sites ". Rising shields also from dentists: 'It is difficult to identify a risky product in prosecco ”, says Mario Aimetti, president of Sidp, the Italian society of the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology. "There are also many other products with acid pH and sugar - he adds - that can be at risk of tooth decay and increase the sensitivity of the teeth".
According to a Wine Intelligence survey relaunched by Winenews, the popularity of champagne in Great Britain is seriously threatened by prosecco. Italian bubbles are in fact considered winning in moments of sociality: 46% against 29% of champagne.