It’s not Champagne if it’s not produced in … Russia?
A controversial new Russian law has hurt the French wine industry and could cause customer confusion in two ways, as reported by VinePair: It forces non-Russian wine producers to include the words “sparkling wine” on their bottles, while only Russian sparkling wine producers can now label their bottles as Shampanskoye (Russian for Champagne).
According to The Guardian, what the Russians call Shampanskoye is a “post-USSR reincarnation” of a popular cheap sparkling drink created in the 1930s. What the rest of the world considers Champagne is an Appellation of Controlled Origin or AOC; since 1936, this geographical designation means that “Champagne [is] exclusively reserved for wines harvested and produced in Champagne.”
French officials are, unsurprisingly, not pleased. “Depriving the people of Champagne the right to use their name is scandalous. It’s our common heritage and the apple of our eyes,” said Maxime Toubart and Jean-Marie Barillère, co-presidents of the Comité Champagne, in a press release. “The Champagne name is protected in more than 120 countries.”
Actual (French) Champagne producer Moët Hennessy initially threatened to halt sales to Russia, but this week announced it would resume shipments.
The move by Russia is seen as a way to boost the Crimean wine region and revitalize local production.
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