Press Release: U.S. Champagne Bureau Celebrates World Consumer Rights Day

 Urges Consumers Nationwide to Sign Petition to Protect Wine Place & Origin

What if something labeled "Made in America" was actually produced outside of the country? Or a product declared "antique" was really made in 2008? Or that Champagne you've been saving for a special occasion isn't from where it appeared to be from? This would be an affront to our rights as consumers.

But in fact, more than 47 percent of bottles labeled Champagne in the U.S. do not actually come from Champagne, France. In honor of World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, the U.S. Champagne Bureau urges consumers to demand an end to the misleading practice of some wine producers who intentionally misuse the names of other wine regions on their labels.

"Consumers deserve truthful wine labels that correctly identify the origin of the wine no matter where it comes from," said director Sam Heitner. "But unfortunately, when it comes to purchasing wine in a country like the U.S. which prides itself on consumer rights, it's buyer beware."

Consumers International created World Consumer Rights Day more than 20 years ago to bring attention to basic consumer rights, including the right to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labeling. Yet today, a loophole in U.S. law allows some domestic winemakers to use the place names of 16 internationally recognized wine regions on wines that are not produced in those regions, intentionally misleading consumers who have a right to know where their wine actually comes from.

A recent national survey of U.S. wine consumers found that 79 percent agree consumers deserve protection from deceptive claims on food and beverage labels, and 63 percent support a law prohibiting such misleading wine labels.

This Consumer Rights Day, the U.S. Champagne Bureau urges all consumers to demand fair and accurate wine labels on all bottles sold in the U.S. by signing the Petition to Protect Wine Place & Origin at www.protectplace.com. By signing, consumers will join a growing movement of U.S. and international wine regions such as Napa Valley, Chianti Classico, Western Australia, Sonoma County, Paso Robles and many other groups and individuals who believe the integrity of wine place names are fundamental tools for consumers to identity the wines of great winegrowing regions.