The word “champagne” is historically associated with France, as it comes from the name of the Champagne region, the Minister of Agriculture of the country Julien Denormandy said on the air of Sud Radio, commenting on the new Russian law banning the use of this name for foreign products.
“The position of France is very clear. The word champagne comes from Champagne. But it is used by other countries, and sometimes other countries say: champagne is us, and you, France, is not champagne, ”he said. Denormandy noted that the Ministry of Agriculture is aware of the situation in Russia. He stressed that the department is closely following what is happening.
On July 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to 171-FZ on the regulation of alcoholic beverages. According to the changes, now the name “champagne” can be used only for Russian goods, while wines from the French Champagne region should be renamed “sparkling wine”.
As Vedomosti learned earlier, in connection with the amendments to the law, Moet Hennessy Distribution Rus sent a letter to its Russian partners about the decision to suspend the supply of its products to Russia. After that, Bloomberg, citing a statement from Moët & Hennessy, said that the company agreed to use the name “sparkling wine” for its drinks.
At the same time, the European Commission opposed the new Russian law. They expressed concern about these regulations and warned about their impact on wine exports.
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