Ian Hoare wrote:
> Salut/Hi Dana Myers,
>
> le/on Mon, 27 Oct 2003 18:34:03 -0800, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
>>If "Champagne" wasn't a place but was a Gallo brand, we wouldn't
>>be having this exchange.
>
>
> But it was _used_ by Gallo just because it WAS a place where they make an
> eponymous wine. That's the point for me.

Would you feel better about this if Gallo had put
"Champagne-style sparkling wine" on the label? Gallo
made a beverage in the style of something consumers already
knew and labelled it as such.

....

> And please don't believe that I've got it in for the States over
> this. I believe that actually France would suffer more, if prestigious named
> products were properly protected.

Ah. What's this about prestige? Is a place-based name somehow inherently
prestigious? Don't overlook the impact of the producer name; for example,
Gallo is *still* working to overcome the perception of making nothing but
insipid wine, regardless of what they put on the label.
Dana