The Appellation of Controlled Origin (AOC) defines a product based on a specific geographic location of which it must be typical and have cultural ties. But Russia is not a signatory, yet President Vladimir Putin signed a law last week that will forbid the use of the Russian translation of champagne – “shampanskoye” – on imported bottles.
French producers can still use the word in French but will also have to write “sparkling wine” in Cyrillic on the back of bottles – a heresy for brands that say nothing on earth can match their pizzazz.
“Denying the Champenois the right to use the name ‘champagne’ in Cyrillic is scandalous. It is our common heritage and the apple of our eye,” said Maxime Toubart and Jean-Marie Barillere, co-presidents of France’s Champagne Committee.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the national parliament yesterday that if necessary, France would take the issue to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
“We will act in the coming days with Russian authorities, on the bilateral and European level, to defend our producers’ interests and above all the interests of our geographical indications,” Le Drian said.
Though Russia may not be the world’s biggest champagne market – it ranks 15th in terms of the number of champagne bottles it imports – it is an important one because Russians tend to buy expensive bottles.
The committee, which groups grape growers and producers in France’s Champagne region, also called on diplomats to push for a change of the “unacceptable law” and urged members to halt all shipments to Russia until further notice.
Cigarettes, perfume and sorbet
The Champagne Committee said the new law “calls into question more than 20 years of bilateral talks between the European Union and Russia on the protection of AOCs”.
It railed against Russia for not informing producers in advance of the change and said it is “determined to pursue discussions with the Russian authorities to obtain the exclusive right to the champagne name”.
As suggested by the term AOC, the right to label a product is restricted to those made in the region.
Champagne makers have been battling to protect the name since 1843, and the fight has not just been about using the name on sparkling wine. They have worked to block a whole range of unrelated products, from cigarettes to a perfume by Yves Saint Laurent.
Most recently they won a case against German supermarket chain Aldi over a champagne-flavoured sorbet, because it was judged to not taste like champagne.