6/25/2013 - St. Helena, CA--Officials at the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association announced today another milestone in its effort to protect the Napa Valley brand name worldwide: receipt of Certificate of Trade Mark Registration from the Intellectual Property Office in New Zealand. The registration provides consumer protection against wines illegitimately labeled as being from Napa Valley in this significant wine producing region.
"Although New Zealand is not a major export market for Napa Valley wine, it is an important wine producer and there is potential for misuse of the Napa Valley name," declared Pat Stotesbery, proprietor of Ladera Vineyards, former NVV board president and current chair of the organization's Napa Name Protection committee. "This registration is another achievement in our ongoing effort to ensure consumer confidence that when a bottle of wine says 'Napa Valley' in the brand name, the wine in that bottle is indeed produced from Napa Valley grapes and reflects the consistent quality of our region."
The NVV had previously obtained protective status for the Napa Valley brand in Brazil, Canada, India and Thailand, was the first wine region in the world to obtain the related Geographic Indication (GI) status in China in 2012, and was the first non-European wine region to secure GI status from the European Union in 2007.
About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is the non-profit trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation as the premier winegrowing region. From seven founding members in 1944, today the association represents more than 450 Napa Valley wineries and collectively is a leader in the world-wide wine industry. To learn more about our region and its legendary American wines, visit www.napavintners.com
Contact: Patsy McGaughy, Communications Director 707.968.4207 pmcgaughy@napavintners.com
Receive updates about Napa Valley wine and events.
