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Is there a real non-french champaign. Not just sparkling wine, but something that says Champagne and is equal if not better than the french stuff...

In order - legally - for a sparkling wine to be called "champagne," the grapes have to be grown in the Champagne region of France. Other than the name itself (and any obvious quality differences, and I'm not saying the frog bubbly is better), there isn't any real difference between a sparkling wine and champagne.

Maven

BUT there is no LAW that says that. The French started making a feta Cheese and started calling it French Feta Cheese, must to the anger of the Greek nation which holds a similar to champaign position. The case is pending in the EU. The french do not care.

Given the b**stard behavior of the French, I see no reason to keep this unwritten rule for a word that is so universally associated with sparkling white wines. Belgun waffles are not all made in belgum, vodka is not all from Russia, china is not from china. There are pleanty of regional products whose name defines the product now made everywhere.

Come-on California, not all of you are THAT weird. How about it, a nice bottle of California Champaign with a stars and stripes motiff on the label.