EU fears influx of 'British champagne' once Brexit ends food naming rules

[garbon]

I know this could have gone in Brexit thread, but I know some members of the board would be very interested to hear about the possible existence of 'British (or English) wine'

Fixed!

No, darling, that's the crux of the concern.

[Zanza]

I don't get the supposed concern here. The EU regulates its own market and if Britain is outside of that market that still means that Britain has to adhere to the EU rules if they want to sell something in the EU single market. Among those regulation is the EU PDO, PGI and TSG designations. If Britain wants to sell their sparkling wine as English champagne in Britain after Brexit there is not much the EU can do about it (short of a new bilateral agreement on that), but it can regulate what may be called champagne in the single market. It's also covered by the WTO TRIPS rules...

I imagine people who care about such place origin names are concerned around branding and even though it can't be marketed in the EU, it'll still diminish the 'brand image.'

Okay, fair enough. That is an understandable concern, but seems neglibile based on what Gups posted about the volumn concerned and the necessity for them to actually establish their own brand as opposed to freeriding on the champagne brand.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The Guardian is very much against brexit and makes a mountain out of a molehill for any possible problem.  The English wine industry is far more concerned about the "British" wine problem damaging the brand than in competition with European producers. This will change if production increases (it is expected to do due to climate change).

[Admiral Yi]

I know this could have gone in Brexit thread, but I know some members of the board would be very interested to hear about the possible existence of 'British (or English) wine'

Fixed!

That's what the quotation marks are for. 

[garbon]

I don't get the supposed concern here. The EU regulates its own market and if Britain is outside of that market that still means that Britain has to adhere to the EU rules if they want to sell something in the EU single market. Among those regulation is the EU PDO, PGI and TSG designations. If Britain wants to sell their sparkling wine as English champagne in Britain after Brexit there is not much the EU can do about it (short of a new bilateral agreement on that), but it can regulate what may be called champagne in the single market. It's also covered by the WTO TRIPS rules...

I imagine people who care about such place origin names are concerned around branding and even though it can't be marketed in the EU, it'll still diminish the 'brand image.'

Okay, fair enough. That is an understandable concern, but seems neglibile based on what Gups posted about the volumn concerned and the necessity for them to actually establish their own brand as opposed to freeriding on the champagne brand.

OHow, of course. Much in the same way that the couple of wineries that the US grandfathered in and allows to sell champagne have little impact. Thought to be fair Korbel is quite a degraded offering of the brand.

[Duque de Bragança]

I know this could have gone in Brexit thread, but I know some members of the board would be very interested to hear about the possible existence of 'British (or English) wine'

Fixed!

That's what the quotation marks are for. 

Emphasis on wine within the quotation marks.

[Admiral Yi]

Gotcha.

[celedhring]

Can't say I have ever tried English wine, still or sparkling. Where would you even grow the stuff? Is the climate in the south warm and dry enough?

[garbon]

Can't say I have ever tried English wine, still or sparkling. Where would you even grow the stuff? Is the climate in the south warm and dry enough?

So before today I knew nothing about it. Apparently big thing in Sussex. Quite a few prestige brands though small batches can always drive up price.

[Eddie Teach]

I didn't know they grew grapes in England.

[alfred russel]

I didn't know they grew grapes in England.

In Poland they also make wine, but it is made from potatoes instead of grapes.

[Camerus]

I always studiously avoid the Canadian wine section of local liquor stores.   

[garbon]

I always studiously avoid the Canadian wine section of local liquor stores.   

Okay?

[Capetan Mihali]

The English wine industry sounds like the one that's developed on Long Island: capable of producing wine that's actually pretty decent (according to the wine people I've heard try it), but charging massively more than similar quality wines from the established wine regions cost, largely for structural reasons that aren't likely to change soon.  So it's relegated to novelty status - for tourists, to express national/regional pride, etc., but not for real mass consumption.

I was under the impression Canadian (or Niagara-Ontarian) wine had moved past that stage, at least for a specific niche, e.g. riesling or ice wine.  Like NY Finger Lakes wine.

[Camerus]

I always studiously avoid the Canadian wine section of local liquor stores.   

Okay?

Edgy.