[imagesource: REUTERS / Kirill Kudryavtsev / Pool / File Photo]

Everybody knows that you can only call it champagne if it comes from the French region of Champagne.

Some folks in Britain would disagree with its origin story, but they’re fighting an uphill battle.

Nobody dares to cross the line and suggest that champagne can be made anywhere else, or misuse the jealously guarded and legally defended title in any way, shape, or form.

Except for Vladimir Putin, that is.

On Friday, the Russian president signed a rather provocative piece of legislation that made French wine producers feel like one big explosive cork.

Putin is now requiring all non-Russian producers to mark their products in Russia as “sparkling wine” on the back of every bottle, including some of the world’s most famous and expensive bubbly, The Guardian reports:

Under the law, only locally made Shampanskoye is worthy of the prestigious and previously exclusive name, and French appellations are not recognised.

Of all the controversial things Putin has done, this one sure has created quite a fizz.

Well-renowned champagne house Moët Hennessy threatened to suspend exports to Russia, which makes sense.

But then in a move perhaps more shocking than that of Putin’s, Moët decided to oblige the request to change their labels to “sparkling wine” and will resume deliveries to Russia.

Are pigs flying right now?

Moët Hennessy represents only 2% of the 50 million litres of sparkling wine imported to Russia every year, but I guess they were not willing to lose a single sale.

The French champagne producers’ committee is sticking to their guns. though, calling for the suspension of champagne exports to Russia as they are “scandalised” by the new law.

Apparently, Shampanskoye was a cheap sparkling drink created in the Stalin era in the 1930s to make a version of the elite wine that was available to all.

Meanwhile, French champagne is a “common heritage and the apple of [France’s] eye” with the name protected in more than 120 countries:

Champagnes are designated as a French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), something known by different names elsewhere including Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the UK.

The AOC designation links a product with its geographical origin and makes it subject to rules of production and manufacturing.

We have something like that in South Africa: Rooibos, which has EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status now, too.

I can’t imagine Putin coming for our beloved tea, though.

[source:guardian]