Not many companies can display the name champagne on labels or campaigns: it is a protected designation of origin.
Normally only those who produce in the Champagne region, in northeastern France, can use it — but there are exceptions. In Brazil, the best known is that of the Peterlongo winery from Rio Grande do Sul, which secured judicial authorization for this.
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South American producers will no longer be able to sell drinks named “champagne”, “cognac” or “burgundy wine”. This is because the treaty protects 575 traditional products originally known for the region in which they are manufactured.
South Americans may even produce these items, but they are not authorized to use these names when selling. In the case of wine, only those produced in the French city of Bordeaux can carry these titles; of the distillate, those manufactured in the French city of Cognac.
Most bans begin soon after the agreement is ratified, but producers of items such as “Burgundy wine” — as long as it has a Brazilian name — and champagne have a few years to adapt.
Peterlongo, the first Brazilian winery to make sparkling wine and which followed the French recipe to the letter, will have ten years to adapt, according to the champagne rule.
After the period, it will not even be allowed to use translated forms or those accompanied by expressions such as “type” or “style”. This means that a producer who improperly uses denominations, for example, such as sherry or cognac, runs the risk of having their goods banned from the Brazilian market.
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The European Union had around 3,500 geographical indications by 2017, showed a study published by the European Commission itself. That year, sales of these products totaled almost US$80 billion, with more than 20% of this related to exports outside the bloc.
This same study indicates that European items with a specific origin cost, on average, twice as much as those that are similar and without geographical indication. In the case of wines, prices are up to 2.85% higher in the case of wines; 2.52% for distillates; and 1.5% for agricultural products.
In a note, Peterlongo informed that it chose to “closely monitor the evolution of the process, without making official statements while the agreement remains in the analysis phase and possible adjustments”.
