A Champagne By Any Other Name
Today is June 28, and that can only mean one thing. No, we're not talking about Kellie Pickler's birthday, though that naughty little "mink" is probably ordering calamari right now like there's no tomorrow.
See, this June 28 marks the 87th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles by German foreign minister Hermann Müller. You remember the Treaty of Versailles from European history class, right? It was when the victorious Allied Powers momentarily made Germany their little bitch by forcing the country to accept responsibility for World War I and pay out reparations. Although the geo-political beatdown ultimately backfired and helped lead to German economic collapse, the rise of the Nazis, and a larger conflict 20 years later, the Treaty of Versailles had an impact on the world of sparkling wine -- in particular, on Champagne.
Back in 1891, a slew of nations signed the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks -- also known more colloquially as the Treaty of Madrid. The aim of the Treaty was to make it easier for a citizen of a member nation to secure trademark rights in another member nation. The United States -- a maverick even then -- opted not to join the party because it didn't care for the provision dealing with attacks on trademark registrations. France, however, signed the Treaty -- a key section of which gave l'Hexagone total control over the name Champagne, at least among the Treaty's signatories.
Translation? Only sparkling wine originating from grapes grown in France's Champagne region could legally be called Champagne. Everything else would be merely sparkling wine or carry a name of its own (such as "cava" in Spain or "prosecco" in Italy -- each of which is made with different grapes anyway). And in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles reaffirmed France's "ownership" of the name.
But you know what's interesting? Back at home in D.C., the United States Senate didn't ratify the Treaty of Versailles, and the United States ended up signing a "separate peace" with Germany in 1921 with the Treaty of Berlin. This Treaty of Berlin didn't mention anything about Champagne -- or any other wine or liquor, for that matter. After all, we were in the early throes of the 18th Amendment: Prohibition.
Not shackled by naming limitations, United States sparkling wine producers took full advantage of their freedom and labeled their sparkling wines "Champagne" for marketing reasons (the theory was that French names -- and particularly well respected French names -- were always chic). And they did the same with "Chablis" (which, in France, refers to chardonnays from the Chablis region of Burgundy) to refer to any number of cheap white wines and "Burgundy" (which, in France, refers to pinot noirs made in, well, Burgundy) to refer to any number of cheap reds.
Both out of respect for their French winemaking counterparts and the realization that American wines could stand on their own, the practice of calling American sparkling wines "Champagne" has largely fallen by the wayside -- with one notable exception. Korbel calls its sparkling wine "California Champagne" -- no doubt pissing off the French, who don't want to be associated with that swill.
So, raise a glass of the real French stuff to commemorate the Treaty of Versailles's impact on wine-naming. And yes, Jay-Z, you can drink Krug or Dom Perignon instead of Cristal.