California vineyards
To Kalon vineyard, Napa Valley
(Image credit: Mitch Tobias 2012, www.mitchtobias.com)

Napa Valley will still be a protected name in the UK following Brexit, no matter what happens in negotiations between the country and the EU, according to the California wine region's main trade body.

Napa Valley Vintners said it had secured a ‘certification mark’ in the UK for the name Napa Valley.

It described the move as a ‘proactive measure ahead of Brexit‘.

Napa Valley wineries have enjoyed Geographic Indication status in the European Union since 2007.

But NVV said that it sought a separate deal with the UK because its 550 winery members could not be sure of continued GI status in the country following its scheduled departure from the EU on 29 March 2019.

‘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 and also proprietor of Ladera Vineyards.

The UK government and the European Commission has been negotiating the future of GI protection on a range of food and drink, from Champagne to Stilton cheese.

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.