Will a new name give Wales' sparkling wine cheers?

The industry in Wales could be boosted with a better name, says the Welsh Vineyards Association

Champagne, prosecco, cava and now... pefriog?

That's the Welsh word for sparkling and it has been mooted by some in the industry as a blanket name for sparkling wine produced in Wales.

Andy Mounsey, owner of Velfrey Vineyard in Pembrokeshire, said Welsh wine should be showcased with a name that utilises the language and helps to promote Wales' burgeoning industry.

The Welsh government said a strategy was due to be published this year.

Mr Mounsey, chairman of the Welsh Vineyards Association, said giving Wales' sparkling wine a bespoke name would bring advantages to the industry.

He said it was unclear why sparkling wine from Wales does not already have a brand identity like other countries, given that the nation has 32 vineyards.

With Italy known for its prosecco, Spain for cava and France for champagne, he believes Wales' "deliciously diverse" drink could benefit from a widely known specific name.

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"Welsh Sparkling Wine doesn't exactly flow trippingly from the tongue, does it? It's not a brand identity", said Mr Mounsey.

"It's produced using quality grapes and the best quality methods to produce really high-quality wines, wines that are absolutely unique to Wales.

"Let's have a name that reflects that."

What should it be called?

Andy Mounsey owns a vineyard in Wales and says a Welsh name would help Wales' sparkling wine have an identity

While exploring the possibility of choosing a bespoke name, Mr Mounsey said he believed the name should first and foremost be Welsh.

It should also have "real meaning associated with quality sparkling wine production", he added, and one that "everybody can understand".

What do other people think?

People on a wine tasting tour at Velfrey Vineyard seemed to favour the suggested name, but emphasised that it must be easy for all to pronounce and understand. (And in case you're wondering, you say pev-ree-og.)

Pam Davenport says Welsh sparkling wine should have its own identity but needs to be accessible to all

Tasting the vineyard's sparkling wine, Pam Davenport, on holiday in Pembrokeshire, said it was "phenomenal" and "undoubtedly" deserved its own brand identity.

"If you could link it to something Welsh that means something like 'sparkling', I think that would be ideal," she said.

"But don't forget the British audience or connoisseurs, they would want to be able to understand what it is."

Sarah Woodhouse, from York, says people around the world could get used to a Welsh word if it's "punchy"

Sarah Woodhouse, originally from York, added: "I think it's a great idea. It would be great to go to the supermarket and say, 'I'm looking for a bottle of whatever the name is'."

However, she was not convinced about pefriog. "It's not punchy," she said.

"Mind you, I guess prosecco is not punchy but it's just easier for us to say. I don't have any suggestions because I don't speak Welsh but something quite punchy would be good."

Mr Mounsey does not believe a Welsh name would put people off, with other country's variations also in the language of the country of origin.

He said: "One suggested to me by a Welsh speaker yesterday was 'swigod', which I understand means bubbles, which is really, really nice. 'Eferw' which I think means effervescent, was another one.

"I like swigod or pefriog because they both have real meaning, even spoken or written down they're proper Welsh words but words that non-Welsh speakers can say."

'Too ambitious?'

Shumana Palit thinks there could be better ways to promote Welsh sparking wine

But not everyone thinks a brand name is what's needed to promote Welsh sparkling wine.

Shumana Palit is a wine specialist and the owner of Ultracomida, a delicatessen and wine merchant with stores in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, and Narberth in Pembrokeshire.

"To create that logo, that name, that label, requires a lot of agreement within the winemakers, they have to agree on what the rules will be of the winemaking, maybe agree on grapes that can be used," said Ms Palit.

"There's going to be paperwork, it's costly, you have to put money into those regulations and oversee the regulations and 'do we want more paperwork?' is what I would ask."

Comparing the situation to other countries, she said getting the name out there would not be an easy task.

"We drink a lot of sparkling wine in the UK but champagne has always held the crown for the top end, for the special occasions. Prosecco has flooded the market very successfully," she said.

"We sell Spanish wine and I know how hard and how much money and time and effort it is taking for Spanish wine to try and get cava as a household name. Is this too ambitious?"

According to Ms Palit, there are other means of promoting Wales' fine wines, without having to rely on a name.

"Could we not come at it in a more nimble way and don't spend too much time obsessing about a name or logo, but just come up with a marketing campaign that you can tell people, shout to people, another amazing thing that we have here in Wales is wine."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "A strategy for the Welsh wine industry is due to be published before the end of this year.

"It is being developed by the Wine Special Interest Group which is part of the Food and Drinks Cluster Programme funded by the Welsh government."

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