The law in this country is that you can't call it champagne if it's not from champagne. Anyone that drinks champagne knows this. Same for Melton Mowbray Pork Pies; if they're not from that region, or not made in the right way, you're breaking the law if you call them Melton Mowbray.
I really can't see why it isn't bad and misleading, to use a designation of origin on a label that is false.
Ok great there’s an easy way to solve this issue: consumer research.
If consumer research shows that most consumers are aware Champagne always comes from Champagne, and they consider sparkling white wine from Portugal to be “not Champagne” - then keep the restrictions.
In the other hand if most consumers aren’t aware of the distinction, or don’t care, then it’s simply protectionism.
This could create different rules in different places, but that’s just because different consumers require different protections.
But the EU doesn’t seem to care about whether consumer confusion is actually happening.
That’s ironic, as the EU prides itself on serving consumers via regulations.
The lack of consumer research and consumer advocacy is very “un-EU.”
Edit: Champagne might not be the best example, because geography does matter. Different soil produces different grapes.
Edit 2: What is misleading about including the place of production in the phrase “Made in Champagne, France”. “Acme Fine China, made in the USA” makes sense.
My parents used to have a blanket on their bed, with the following label:
"Genuine Witney Blanket. Made in Manchester."
England may be a small place, but Witney is very far from Manchester, in terms of English geography. Witney used to be the centre of English blanket-weaving; there were at least two of the biggest English blanket-weaving companies in Witney. (Witney is a small town near Oxford)
Manchester was the centre of the English cotton-weaving industry since the 18th century. It's not hard to understand why the blanket-weavers might move to Manchester. But "Genuine Witney"? Yeah, the blanket was made by EarlyWarm, a Witney firm; but trading on a place-name when you don't employ anyone from that place or contribute to the economy of that place, is just wrong.
Plenty of people have no idea champagne must be made in a region of France.
If they’re not aware of the requirement, it’s certainly not misleading to remove it.
In trademark law, you have to prove that a trademark violation creates confusion.
Are there any studies on how many consumers expect champagne to made in Champagne?