Russia forces Champagnes to be re-labelled Sparkling wine in Russia

The recent Russian law has left Champagne companies flat and banned them from using the Russian term for Champagne, shampanskoye, on their bottles sold in Russia. The name typically appears on the back of bottles to describe the wine, but the new Russian law states that the name can only be associated with Russian made wines and wines from the illegally annexed Crimea region.

French media have suggested Moscow’s move could be part of an effort to revive the shampanskoye sparkling wine industry in its Soviet-era home of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.