The Russian parliament, under the direction of President Putin, is demanding that the name “Champagne” be henceforth reserved for Russian sparkling wines. “Champagne” itself will have to revise its label: “sparkling wine” is the label under which all Champagne wines produced in France (as it is a protected designation of origin) will now have to be sold. The LVMH group, which owns some big Champagne brands, has said it will comply with this new legislation…
The emperor of all the French probably needs to hold an animated conciliabule at the Pantheon; after all, it is to him that we owe a proverbial maxim on the subject of Champagne and the most “majestic of defeats” over Russia.
