If you're drinking bubbly in Australia that was bottled before September 1, there was no way of knowing where it actually came from. Due to the initiative of a very strong Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne, or CIVC in France, this step has been possible, according to the news report in the Telegraph.
To mark the milestone event in the industry, the organization has created a website counting down the final minutes until the new Australian law comes into force.
"When it comes to wine, there is no ingredient more important than location," says the CIVC. "The land, air, water and weather where grapes are grown are what make each wine unique." Winemaking regions rely on their place names or geographic locations to differentiate themselves from other winegrowing regions.
When buying champagne in Canada, which has robust labeling laws, for instance, consumers know they're purchasing a bottle from the Champagne region of France. However, countries like the US, Russia and Vietnam, however, continue to mislabel their bottles, says the CIVC according to whom more than 50 percent of sparkling wine in the US is mislabeled as champagne.
Other protected labels include Sherry from Spain and Port produced in Portugal.
India already accepts the provenance of Champagne and calls its sparkling wines-normally Brut (since they fall in this category of sugar content). Surprisingly one sees occasionally ‘Methode Champenois’ mentioned on its bottles. According to the trade agreements, the mention of this typical method of second fermentation is allowed only for champagne. |