Analyses & Studies
Adams & Adams: Champagne vs Shampanskoye... War on the Protection of Brand Names
Russia Ousts Champagne in Favour of Shampanskoye
In what can best be described as a robust and “no bars held” move, Russia has declared that champagne producers must now include the designation “sparkling wine” on their Champagne products manufactures for export to Russia.
To add insult to injury, only locally-produced (in Russia) sparkling wine manufactured according to the traditional champagne method (but not in Champagne, France) may feature the designation “Shampanskoye”, (the Russian word for the French word “Champagne”) on their labels.
This move, which has been the subject of both criticism and praise, both in Russia and beyond, has been seen as move toward protecting local producers of sparkling wines products.
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