French champagne industry group fumes over new Russian champagne law (updated)

Maison Pommery & Associes SA

05/07/2021 12:15

(Adds details)
    PARIS, July 5 (Reuters) - France's champagne industry group
blasted on Monday a new Russian law forcing foreign champagne
producers to add a "sparkling wine" reference to the back of
their bottles.
    The "Comite Champagne" (Champagne Committee) added in a
statement that it was also calling on French and European Union
diplomats to get the law changed.
    The law, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on
Friday, requires all foreign producers of sparkling wine to
describe their product as such on the label on the back of the
bottle - though not on the front.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2OH1ON
    Makers of Russian "shampanskoye" may continue to use that
term alone.
    Co-presidents of the French Champagne group, Maxime Toubart
and Jean-Marie Barillere, called on its members to halt all
shipments to Russia for the time being.
    They said that the Champagne name, which refers to the
region in France where French Champagne comes from, had legal
protection in 120 countries.
    "The Champagne Committee deplores the fact that this
legislation does not ensure that Russian consumers have clear
and transparent information about the origins and
characteristics of wine," it said, adding the law undermined two
decades of talks between Russia and the European Union. 

 (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Additional reporting by Leigh
Thomas; 
Editing by Alison Williams and Andrea Ricci)
 ((sudip.kargupta@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84;))