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Belgium destroys US sham-pagne in EU crackdown

Belgian authorities announced on Thursday they have destroyed a shipment of more than 3,000 bottles of California-made sparkling wine as part of a New Year's crackdown on illegally labeled Champagne.

The destruction of the US bubbly highlights a global battle by European food and drink producers to protect their brands by enforcing laws that say only products made in their original regions can carry names such as Champagne, Parma ham or Danish Blue cheese.

In the EU and in non-EU nations that recognize label of origin rules, Champagne can only come from the region of the same name in northern France.

"`Champagne' is a protected appellation of origin which can only be attributed to wines coming from the Champagne region," said Bruno Paillard, representing vintners from the French region.

Paillard said selling other wines with the Champagne label amounts to counterfeiting that cheats consumers.

"It is not the wine connoisseurs that get tricked, because they know the difference, so our priority is to defend the average consumers," Paillard told a news conference.

Officials in the Belgian port city of Antwerp discovered the shipment of sparkling wine bottles bearing the labels "California Champagne" and "Andre Champagne Cellars" destined for Nigeria. All 3,288 bottles were destroyed on Tuesday, officials said.

In a statement, the manufacturer, California-based E&J Gallo Winery, said it respects EU labeling laws and does not sell wine labeled as California Champagne in those countries.

The shipment in question belonged to a third party based in the US that supplies cruise ships and, once informed of the problem, agreed to abandon the product for destruction, Gallo said.

Most countries around the world -- including Nigeria -- respect the rules granting exclusive use of the Champagne label to the French producers.

Sparkling wine makers in the US are allowed to use the Champagne name as part of a compromise reached after years of trade negotiations with the EU. However, they are not allowed to export it under that label to countries that recognize the EU's protection system.

Belgium customs officials said the latest discovery was nothing new. Among previous shipments seized includes bottles of "Shampagne" from Ethiopia and "Champana" from Argentina.
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