Is It Fair?

I was reading my beloved New Yorker this week and was struck by a one-page ad from the Champagne Region of France. In it they say "Masquerading as Champagne...might be legal, but it isn't fair. There are many fine sparkling wines, but only those originating in the chalky hills of Champagne, France can bear that region's name. A legal loophole allows some U.S. wines to masquerade as 'Champagne.'" Then they want you to demand accurate labeling.

Several wine regions have signed a "Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin , " which essentially is aimed at educating consumers about the importance of location to winemaking. These signatories include: Napa Valley, Oregon, Washington, Walla Wala Valley, Champagne, Porto, Jerez, and now Paso Robles, Sonoma, Chianti Classico, Tokaj, and Victoria and Western Australia. 

So this brought up a discussion in the office regarding the "fairness" of people using the term "champagne" to describe sparkling wine. The folks at Xerox are thrilled that their name comes up every time someone uses their name rather than "photo copy." Why do the folks of Champagne spend so much time and money trying to prevent people from using the term champagne for sparkling wine? I'd argue they would have better use of their time.

When we created our WinePassport: Bubbly , we took great pains to use the term Champagne correctly; however, the title often confuses people. I was at a party the other day and asked for some "bubbly." The waiter brought me sparkling water. The fact is, "champagne" as a general term describing sparkling wine is here to stay and it (as well as terms such as Port) help people know what they're going to taste. 

The press release announcing this Joint Declaration says "Americans are more knowledgeable than ever before about wine and will not settle for anything less than authentic products." If you believe that, give them credit for knowing that a "California Champagne" is not from France. They should spend more time focusing on creating quality wines with strong marketing and branding, not fighting a naming battle they cannot win.