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The state of Oregon has some of the toughest labeling standards in the U. S. wine industry; 'Oregon Champagne' or 'Oregon Burgundy' won't appear on a label. Harry Peterson-Nedry, founder of Chehalem winery, represented the Oregon Wine Board at the declaration signing.
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| Carlo Rossi Burgundy (right) was born in the U.S.A.; the Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune du Chateau Premier Cru, made from Pinot Noir, is the real deal from the Burgundy region of France. |
| Chronicle photo by Craig Lee |
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"Since 1977, Oregon wine labels have not allowed unauthentic place names or semi-generic geographical indicators to be used," Peterson-Nedry says. "We heartily support worldwide recognition of accurate place identity as a basic tool for the consumer in purchasing wine and other products whose quality depends on where it is grown or made. Unless we want commonplace wines, we should honor unique places where great wines are made."
Quality, tradition and image are also at stake. There is a vast difference in quality between a $5.99 bottle (See up-to-date value in other currencies) of Cook's California Champagne and a $40 bottle (See up-to-date value in other currencies) of Champagne from France. The first is made through a bulk process, the second by a labor-intensive methode champenoise technique, in which still wine goes through a second fermentation in the bottle and spends years in the cellar, developing fine bubbles, complexity and refinement. When the market runs out of Cook's, the winemakers just make another batch.
"The name of a wine's origin is very important," says Etienne Bizot, managing director of Champagne Bollinger. "Americans are starting to really understand the fact that wine is not a matter of brand, it's a matter of origin."
Yet brand is a force when it comes to American wine-buying habits. Australian brands like Yellow Tail and the Little Penguin, created and packaged for American tastes, have been tremendous successes here. Where the grapes are grown is not important, just what's in the bottle -- easy-going, fruity, inexpensive wines that have a consistency of quality.
California vintners also are heavily into branding; just look at the plethora of under-$10 wines with the 'California' appellation on their labels. Sense of place is sacrificed for value, attractive packaging and wide availability for the consumer.
When Jack and Jamie Davies launched Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga in 1965, they put 'Champagne' on their labels of sparkling wine, to show consumers that they were serious about making fine sparkling wine from Napa Valley fruit, and that they used the same methode champenoise as in Champagne.
"In 1965, it was a difficult time in the marketplace," says Schramsberg winemaker and general manager Hugh Davies, son of Jamie and the late Jack. "Back then, I don't think anyone cared what you did or didn't do (on the label. ) We gained some notice when the label said Champagne. People took us a little more seriously."
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