Molly Wipf
Advertising Article #1
We have consistently heard advertisements in regards to champagne asking their audiences to "uncork the magic". However, are the consumers of champagne
truly concerned about where that magic comes from? In 1700, Dom Pérignon
discovered champagne by corking wine before it was fully fermented and allowing
carbon dioxide to build up inside. The contention between France and the United
States originated when enterprising wine makers adopted secondary formation
tactics and started concocting champagne outside of France.
For the French, the region in which a wine is made is a sacred, hallowed and paramount pillar for the industry. They hold it in such high regard that they created “The Champagne Bereau USA” forcing Americans to be educated and simply acknowledge
where authentic Champagne comes from. Arthur Shapiro, president of A|M
Shapiro & Associates has responded to this never ending dispute between
France and the US by reiterating the fact that Americans are much more
interested in the taste and price of a wine rather than its pedigree.
Nonetheless, in 1996, the international Agreement of Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights, made it so wine brands, both in the US as well as
France, are prohibited to use regional company names. This has not stopped
France from targeting US wine companies. They recently put out an advertising
that included “Champagne Only Comes From Champagne, France”. The major
response that this advertisement received from the US is, so what?
I think this conflict between the US and France is a never-ending one. Clearly it's been going on since poppin' bubbly became popular, and I don't think it's going to end just like peoples interest in the beverage. The ad really does get you thinking; Maine lobster from Kansas? That's not exactly the place where I'd want to get my lobster from, so maybe we should be more particular with our champagne as well? I guess it's personal preference and people will continue to purchase what they like and know: be it the best bubbly from France or cheap bottle from the US.
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