Mixed Feelings on Recent Trade Agreement
Announced last week, the new agreement for American Winemakers with Europe allows for semi-generic place names to continue to be used by some wineries, but prohibits any new additions. This has gotten some European winemakers up in arms as they continue to contest that these semi-generic names, like “California Champagne”, are misleading and confusing. James Seff, Chair of the wine law group at Pillsbury Winthrop, provides a rebuttal:
You have to remember that these names didn’t arise as a result of any mendacious grab by the New World. These were 19th century people who came over from Europe and tried to approximate the wines and foods they knew from home.’
