Paris / Moscow: French champagne industry group on Monday blew Russian law which forced foreign champagne producers to add references to “sparkling wine” to their bottles and called for champagne exports to Russia to be stopped.
The law, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, requires all foreign sparkling wine producers to describe their products such as labels on the back of the bottle – although not in front – while the Russian maker “Shampanskoye” can continue to use the term only.
The French champagne industry group asked its members to stop all shipments to Russia for now and say the name “Champagne”, which refers to the area in the French drink, has legal protection in 120 countries.
“The Champagne Committee regrets the fact that this law does not ensure that Russian consumers have clear and transparent information about the origin and wine characteristics,” said Co-President of the Maxime Toubart and Jean-Marie Barillere group in a statement.
French trade minister Franck Riester said he traced new Russian law carefully, dealing with the wine industry and European partners of France.
“We will accidentally support our producers and French advantages,” he said on Twitter.
Moet Hennessy, the maker of Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon owned by LVMH, that week will begin to add the appointment of “soft wine” to the back of the bottle destined for the law.
LVMH shares fell around 0.2% on Monday afternoon, performed poorly from the Paris exchange, which rose 0.34%.
Stocks in Russian sparkling wine makers Abrau-Durso rose more than 3% after rising 7.77% in early trade.
President Abrau-Durso Pavel Titov told Radio France Internationale on Saturday, his company did not have sparkling wine which would be called “champagne” in his portfolio and said he hoped the problem would be resolved with global norms and standards.
“It is very important to protect Russian wine in our market.
But the law must make sense and not contrary to common sense …
I have no doubt that real champagne is made in the French champagne area,” he said.