Producers of French sparkling wine…yes, you know which one we mean…have zealously protected their AOC-listed name against all comers and imitators. Now, however, they are on the other end of the stick as Russia has banned their calling the product ‘Champagne.’
Well, not really, but really. Under legislation signed by Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin in June, the word ‘Shampanskoe,’ the Russian version of ‘Champagne,’ can no longer appear on the bottles in Cyrillic letters, although it can appear in French on the back of the bottle. In Cyrillic, it must be labeled ‘sparkling wine.’
Under the 1958 Lisbon Agreement, now under the EU, protection was given to names that have distinctive geographical meaning and history, such as Champagne, Roquefort and other products. Under that rule, Spain’s champagne-method wines are labeled as ‘Cava,’ while American versions, not subject to the agreement, are sold as ‘Champagne.’
Russia is the 15th-largest export market for French… um… ‘sparkling wine’ and the Comite Champagne and French authorities are trying to convince Russia to repeal the law. So far, however, the best they have been able to get is an agreement that bottles shipped to Russia before last July can still be sold.
