New Spanish sparkling wine bears French designation

The Spanish sparkling wine producer Codorniu is launching a cava labelled "Gran Cremant Brut". It uses the name traditionally given to French sparkling wines that do not come from the Champagne appellation. According to a judgement by the European Court of Justice in 1994 following a complaint by Codorniu, the term Crémant is not a designation of origin but a production method. The name has long been used outside France in Germany and Luxembourg.

A Codorniu spokesperson said: "For us, it's about restoring a historic trade mark of this house. It is a historical name of Codorníu that was used before the appearance of 'appellations of origin' - so we are emphasising the common origin of Champagne, Crémant, Cava and any sparkling wine that is generally produced according to the traditional method."

The new Crémant-Cava is based on the Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parellada grape varieties, all of which are grown within the DO-Cava. It is sold exclusively in a Spanish supermarket chain at a price of 11.60 euros.

(al / source: harpers.co.uk)

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