On tiny pockets of terraced terrain overlooking a bay shared by Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, Milos Skabar is reviving a centuries-old winemaking tradition known as Prosekar, which shares roots with its better-known bubbly cousin, Prosecco. But this humble fizzy blend, virtually unknown beyond the Italian port city of Trieste where it’s made on a strip of land between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia, is caught up in a dispute that’s about to pop.

The makers of Italy’s hugely popular sparkling wine Prosecco are fighting to prevent Croatian winemakers from using the name Prosek for their sweet dessert wine. The handful of Prosekar makers hope to use their ties to Prosecco’s birthplace, just above Trieste, to gain greater recognition for their wine but worry their name is at risk, too.