Why do some sparkling wines from the U.S. say “Champagne” on the label?
As part of the Treaty of Madrid (1891), international trademark and copyright-law language was extended to respect grape-growing appellations. However, because the U.S. Senate never ratified this treaty, these laws were never implemented here. Because of this technicality, U.S. vintners are still allowed to use appellation names such as Champagne, Burgundy or Chablis on their labels in a generic context if qualified by a U.S. region, such as “California Champagne.” Modern trade agreements are changing these rules. However, the old brand names are “grandfathered” in. Domaine Chandon has always followed the international rules and we do not use the term “Champagne” to describe our wines — even though they are produced using the traditional wine-making methods from the celebrated growing region in France. Why do “extra dry” sparkling wines taste so sweet? We need to go back in time to answer this question. Originally, Champagne was very sweet. In the early 1800s, a significant amount of C
