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== Champagne ==

== Champagne ==

Sparkling wines, generally known as [[Champagne]] are produced worldwide but only wines produced in the Champagne region of North Eastern [[France]] are permitted to bear the name. Some excellent sparkling wines are produced in [[Australia]] and [[California]] but are not permitted to be sold under the name "champagne". This has had the effect of making excellent "champagne" type wines available at far less cost than the French varieties and further diversifying the market.

Champagne can either mean sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of northeastern [[France]] or it may be used to describe such wines, no matter where produced. European Union rules restrict the use of the "Champagne" names to wines fitting the former description.  However, it is common to see wines in the United States sold as Champagne, even if they were produced domestically.  The French have protested this, to no avail. Some excellent sparkling wines are produced in [[Australia]] but are not permitted to be sold under the name "champagne". The production of sparkling wines outside France has had the effect of making excellent "champagne" type wines available at far less cost than the French varieties and further diversifying the market.

==References==

==References==