Exports of prosecco to Britain have fallen for the first time in a decade, as the market reaches saturation point and consumers develop a taste for homegrown English fizz.

Exports of the Italian sparkling wine dropped by seven per cent in the first half of this year after nearly a decade of booming sales, according to Coldiretti, the country’s biggest farming association.

More than a quarter of all the prosecco exported abroad is consumed by the British, with the UK by far the biggest market, but that dominance has now been dented.

Italian producers blame the uncertainty caused by Brexit and “fake news” stories about the fizz supposedly leading to rotten teeth and eroding gums.

The Italians are still upset over stories that appeared in the UK press last year claiming that prosecco was so full of sugar it can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

“The tensions caused by the Brexit negotiations and an increase in duties, but also nationalistic fake news aimed at discrediting Italian sparkling wine, have had an effect on exports,” Coldiretti said in a new report.

The Italians were taken aback last summer when British dental experts warned that knocking back prosecco could lead to the dreaded “prosecco smile” – receding gums and decaying teeth.