Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) has named Otto Dal Zotto as the 2025 Victorian ‘Legend of the Vine’, announced at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards Trophy Lunch.
The Victorian Legend of the Vine Award, presented by WCA, recognises a Victorian who is of excellent character, respected by their peers, and has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian wine industry. Recipients must also reflect WCA’s values by promoting excellence in wine communication and education.
First introduced in New South Wales in 2012, the award has since expanded to Victoria and South Australia, with annual awards presented in each state. State Chapter Committees nominate local candidates, with the final selection made by the WCA National Board.
Otto Dal Zotto has earned his place as a Legend of the Vine through his pioneering work in introducing a new grape variety to Australian vineyards and inspiring the country’s passion for a home-grown Prosecco style. His achievements have led to him being known as the ‘Father of Australian Prosecco’.
Born in Valdobbiadene, northern Italy, Dal Zotto moved to Australia and settled in the King Valley. Together with his wife, he established a vineyard that combined well-known varieties with Italian favourites such as Nebbiolo, Barbera, Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese.
In 1996, Otto decided to plant the variety in Australia. After searching widely for suitable cuttings, he planted the country’s first Prosecco vines in 1999. Five years later, in 2004, the first Australian-made Prosecco was released.
This innovation helped reshape Australia’s sparkling wine story and revitalised the King Valley. Today, Australia is one of the fastest-growing sparkling wine markets, with local Prosecco production valued at around $205 million.
“The story does not finish here. In 2009 the European Union, at the behest of Italian winemakers, initiated actions to prohibit the name Prosecco being used by any region outside the geographical area,” said WCA board member Katherine Brown.
Dal Zotto responded by rallying the King Valley wine community and leading efforts to challenge the restriction, taking the matter to the federal government. In 2023, the Australian government refused to sign a proposed free trade agreement with the European Union, citing Prosecco as a key issue.
Dal Zotto is the eighth Victorian to be recognised as a Legend of the Vine, joining previous recipients Lindsay McCall, Alister Purbrick, Steve Flamsteed, Jeni Port, Eric Vivian Thomson, Kathleen Quealy, Ross Brown and Colin Campbell. He also becomes a lifetime member of WCA.
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