This year, the University of Reims’ Wine & Law Program is in its seventh session and will discuss topics related to trademarks and intellectual property rights in the wine and spirits sector. The Program is a 6-day intensive course program in English from October 9, 2017 through October 14, 2017 at the Université de…
Tag: France
Battle of the Brands: French Winery Château Lafitte Claims Triumph
As reported by Decanter, Château Lafitte claimed victory against an ongoing trademark case and can reportedly sell Bordeaux wine in China under the name Château Lafitte. See Chateau Lafitte Claims Trademark Wine in China. The dispute in China has been ongoing for about two years and has been between Château Lafitte and Château…
Alfred Gratien: A Day Trip to Épernay for Small Batch and Quality Champagne
A few weeks ago, I had the absolute pleasure of spending an afternoon at and touring Alfred Gratien in Épernay. The maison has been producing wine since 1864 and takes pride in stating that its Champagne is hand-crafted. The house uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties, which represent the three…
Clos Montmartre: A Closer Look at the Hidden Vineyard in Paris
As many times as I’ve visited Paris, I am actually disheartened to admit that—up until recently—I had never seen the hidden vineyard in Montmartre. After reading an article several weeks ago about Clos Montmartre, or the 1500 square meters of vineyard space covertly tucked behind the Sacré-Cœur, I knew it was a “must”…
On Reserve Author to Teach at University of Reims’ Wine & Law Program
It is with great honor that I share the following: This summer, I will be teaching a course on U.S. Wine Law at the Wine & Law Program at the University of Reims. Four years ago, I had to absolute pleasure of attending the Program and exploring my burgeoning interest in…
Upcoming Seminars and Opportunities in Wine Law
Two exciting opportunities in wine law are scheduled for the next few months. The first is the Wine and Spirits Law Academy at UC Davis on September 8th, 9th, and 10th. Wine and spirits legal experts from around the world will convene for a three-day conference to discuss topics including global wine and…
Chateau Mouton Rothschild Tells Burgundy Wine Producer to Change its Name
Bordeaux estate Château Mouton Rothschild recently sent a Burgundy wine producer, Vintner Laurent Mouton, a cease and desist letter, asking the producer to stop use of the name “Domaine Mouton” on its wine labels. The Château claimed that use of such a name on wine labels was “unauthorised reproduction [and] amounts to…
Is China Making a Step Forward in Wine Trademark Law?
One of my recent pieces was published by Cornell International Law Journal Online, which is an incredible online collection of short publications written by attorneys and law students discussing contemporary legal issues in various fields. I wrote about China with respect to trademark and the wine industry. Specifically, I discussed…
Champagne House Veuve Clicquot Sues Italian Sparkling Wine Producer Over Label
Update January 23, 2014: The Drinks Business reported today that Veuve Clicquot denied filing suit against Ciro Picariello and instead contends that the Champagne company contacted the Italian sparkling wine producer to note the “similarity” of the labels and see if there is any way Ciro Picariello’s label could “evolve”…
French Winemakers Face Prosecution for Refusing to use Pesticides
I just finished reading an eBook, Into Wine, written by French sommelier Olivier Magny. As I am sure many can agree, I think it important to continually read about industry developments and about wine generally. While I enjoyed Mr. Magny’s publication, what I found most interesting was his discussion about organic and…