PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2021) Paris is aware of the situation with champagne labeling in Russia and will continue to work with Moscow� ion the issue, the head of the French Ministry of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, said on Tuesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law on Friday, which stipulates that non-Russian champagne producers must label their products as "sparkling wine" in the Russian market.
"We have been monitoring this issue, and for many years. This is a naming battle � is it possible to write 'champagne' and on what type of bottles. Obviously, the position of France was expressed very clearly: the word 'champagne' originates from that name of the beautiful region of France [Champagne] where champagne is produced," Denormandie told the French radio station Sud Radio.
Now champagne is a name that is used in other countries as well, the head of the French ministry said, adding that these nations say they are the ones to produce champagne and not France.
"You can imagine the reaction of the French authorities," Denormandie said.
According to a copy of the letter seen by Sputnik, Moet Hennessy Distribution Rus, the Russian distributor of Moet Hennessy, informed its Russian partners that it was temporarily suspending shipments of its range of champagne.
According to the letter, the termination of the supply of is due to amendments to Russia's Federal law 171 "On the regulation of alcoholic beverages," adopted on Friday. The law clarifies definitions and introduces additional requirements for wine products. In particular, the law excludes the concept of "champagne," allowing it to be used only in relation to "champagne" produced in Russia.
Later, Bloomberg, citing a statement from the company, reported that Moet Hennessy had agreed to change the labeling from "champagne" to "sparkling wine" for products exported to Russia.
In the European Union and many other countries the name "champagne" is legally protected to be used exclusively for sparkling wines from the Champagne region.
Sovetskoye Shampanskoye (Soviet Champagne in Russian) is a generic brand of sparkling wine produced in the Soviet Union and successor states. After the USSR dissolved, private companies in Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine purchased the rights to use this name as a brand name.
