The whole point of regional protection is that people calling it that doesn’t make it so.Gavster wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 6:58 am Fun fact, Russia has produced its own ‘champagne’, which is marketed as, and called champagne, since forever.
I think there's a world version of that agreement. I remember talking to someone about agvaves being grown in Queensland - they are very suited to the climate there. But because it's not Mexico, they are not allowed to make Tequila. They have to call it cactus juice or agave spirit.Gavster wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 8:27 am I totally get that!
I guess I was being lazy. My point really was that protected designation of origin rules are a European agreement that designates Champagne as the sparkling wine using the traditional method from the Epernay and Reims area of France. Being a EC agreement, that regional protection is only actually effective in the EU and therefore anyone outside the EU, such as America or Russia can use méthode champenoise to produce sparkling wine that would be similar in charachter to champagne, then call it champagne, and nobody can do much about that. Even though we know it's not real champagne and that genuine French champagne will still carry higher value in those countries.
Even the French are flexible with that rule, changing the champagne region's boundaries in recent years, to the massive win for some producers and massive loss of others.ZedLeg wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 7:01 amThe whole point of regional protection is that people calling it that doesn’t make it so.Gavster wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 6:58 am Fun fact, Russia has produced its own ‘champagne’, which is marketed as, and called champagne, since forever.
There’s a certain level of buying into that idea needed or you end up going along with selling English perry as champagne
I've had some decent Cavas before, but prosecco I just find a bit rough. I'm not that into champagne either. That said, I think Nyetimber is bloody lovely and shows up just how crap a lot of "proper" champagne is.Jobbo wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:06 pm I went to the Codorniu winery near Barcelona about 20 years ago, and went round the production part. They use exactly the same method traditionelle as French champagne and have loads of old murals and so on calling it Codorniu Champagne around the buildings; it's a really lovely place. It's only allowed to be called Cava now of course, but having seen the care they take over production and obviously liking the taste, I do think it's a far better substitute for actual champagne than prosecco, which seems to have become the default cheaper option.
Just saying "oh but it's capitalism" seems a narrow assessment. PDO and PGI are more about cultural heritage and food sovereignty by protecting historic localised food systems, production methods and values.ZedLeg wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:03 pm Yeah, the whole thing is capitalist protectionism, it’s just funny that once again Trump the famous business understander doesn’t understand any of this stuff.
It’s only relevant within the framework of capitalism is my point.Gavster wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 2:26 pmJust saying "oh but it's capitalism" seems a narrow assessment. PDO and PGI are more about cultural heritage and food sovereignty by protecting historic localised food systems, production methods and values.ZedLeg wrote: Fri Mar 14, 2025 1:03 pm Yeah, the whole thing is capitalist protectionism, it’s just funny that once again Trump the famous business understander doesn’t understand any of this stuff.
https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/off-with ... creams-madtrade wars are not good, nor are they easy to win. they’re big, messy, and have a funny way of blowing right the fuck up in your big dumb pumpkin face.
