French champagne was renamed for the Russian market | News from Germany about Europe

Despite the best efforts of the French government, champagne producers had to change labels for sale in Russia. Starting from Saturday, January 1, only Russian producers will be able to sell drinks under the brand name “champagne” on the territory of the Russian Federation.

According to the law on the labeling of champagne on the Russian market, adopted in July 2021, foreign producers are required to label their products as “sparkling wine”. This law also affected winemakers in the French Champagne region. Although they can leave the inscription “Champagne” on the label in Latin letters, they are obliged to write in Russian that this is “sparkling wine”.

The law was supposed to come into force in the summer, but Paris managed to get a delay until January 1, 2022. “This allowed us to ensure that non-compliant bottles that were shipped before July could be sold,” said Comité Champagne, a French champagne group.

Paris does not give up

Nevertheless, France still hopes to challenge the Russian law. According to the French Ministry of Commerce, the negotiations are not over yet. “We are continuing to work on this issue with the European Commission to protect our wine and spirits industry, including champagne,” a ministry spokesman said in response to a request from AFP.

Earlier, France threatened Russia with a court if it turns out that the new Russian law on labeling violates the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Russians buy expensive champagne, but not enough

Russia ranks 15th in the world in terms of consumption of French champagne. Annually, about two million of the 150 million exported bottles are delivered to the country. However, as explained in Comité Champagne, the Russian upper class often buys the noblest and, therefore, expensive drinks.

See also:

German Wine Route
Palatinate route
The 85-kilometer tourist trail German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße), also known as the German Wine Route, starts at the border with French Alsace. Passes through the Palatinate – the second largest wine region in Germany after the Rheingessen. The first grapes were cultivated here by the ancient Romans two thousand years ago, who appreciated the local sunny and mild climate.

German Wine Route
From Riesling to Kerner
More than four dozen towns and about one and a half hundred picturesque villages are located on this popular tourist route. Cultivated white varieties include Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Silvaner and Grauburgunder, and red varieties include Portugieser, Spätburgunder and Dornfelder. This photo was taken during one of the wine festivals for which the region is famous.

German Wine Route
Schweigen-Rechtenbach
The beginning of the German Wine Route in Schweigen-Rechtenbach is symbolized by the stone gate, erected in 1936, and in the photo – the Tourist Information Center, opened here in 1995.

German Wine Route
Harvesting
The most interesting time in the Palatinate is in the autumn during the harvest season. However, the local landscapes are conducive to walking at any time of the year. Gourmets can appreciate the excellent quality of the regional cuisine under the Riesling or Sylvaner, the most popular local wines.

German Wine Route
Dörrenbach
The wine-growing village of Dörrenbach is called the “Sleeping Beauty of the Palatinate”. The main architectural attraction is the half-timbered town hall, built in the Renaissance era. Here she is shown in an old photograph from 1965.

German Wine Route
Birkweiler
Birkweiler won a competition in 1985 to be named the most beautiful village on the German Wine Route. This typical wine-growing settlement of the Palatinate was founded seven centuries ago. The area is ideal for exploring the vineyards. At the end of June, one of the oldest traditional wine festivals in the region takes place here.

German Wine Route
Wine queens
Every year, the Palatinate chooses its own Wine Queen and three Wine Princesses at once. The tradition began in 1931. At first, the powers of these queens extended throughout Germany, but gradually in other regions they began to choose and crown their own wine beauties. In the photo – the Queen of 2018 Inga Stork.

German Wine Route
German tuscany
The Palatinate is often called the “German Tuscany”. In any case, it may well compete with it in terms of the number of hours of sunshine per year – 1800. The photo shows one of the wineries near the city of Wachenheim.

German Wine Route
Almond
Already in March, the air in the Palatinate warms up to the temperature required for the beginning of almond flowering. In autumn, during the harvest season, chestnuts ripen here, which are a must-try, as well as the famous onion pie with young wine.

German Wine Route
Bad Durkheim
Bad Dürkheim hosts the world’s largest wine festival, which is attended by up to 600 thousand people. The site is also home to Germany’s largest wine barrel, although no wine has ever been poured into it. There is a whole restaurant inside. The medieval castle of Hardenburg is located above the city.

German Wine Route
Wine Vault
Between the barrels Tourists on the German Wine Route can follow the wine-making process from start to finish. From vineyards, harvesting, juicing to bottling. It is also worth looking into one of the barrel workshops.

German Wine Route
Neustadt
We conclude our survey of the German Wine Route with this 1910 postcard. The city of Neustadt is one of the main centers of German winemaking. In the center is a lively market square with a Baroque town hall and a Gothic church. Visitors to the city are also advised to take a ride on the 13-kilometer “Kukushkin” narrow-gauge railway – Kuckucksbähnel, as well as visit the Hambach castle.
Author: Maxim Nelyubin