Talks between the Australian wine industry and the EU have presently stalled on the issues of wine labelling regulations, but I still can help but wonder why Australia’s largest French-owned wine company still uses the term ‘Chablis’ to identify one of its key domestic wines. As illustrated, the Jacob’s Creek Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2000 still sports the term ‘Chablis’ on its label. I find it astonishing that while virtually all Australian wine producers have voluntarily removed the term ‘Chablis’ from their bottled wine labels, there being no present legal requirement for them to do so, that Orlando Wyndham, which is entirely owned by Pernod Ricard, should persist with its usage. While their use is still legally permitted, there is no justification any longer for any Australian wine company to use generic terms like Chablis, Burgundy, Champagne or Claret. French wine producers, especially those in Chablis, have rightly protested long and loud to have them barred from our use. That a French-owned company chooses to use ‘Chablis’ so prominently raises a multitude of questions. Jacob’s Creek marketing manager Nick Blair says that Orlando Wyndham is aiming to replace the wine with a varietal sauvignon blanc and says that the wine is only sold within Australia. The company would move quickly to change the name of the wine if legally required to, he said. If the French case against Australians using European generic or traditional terms is to recover any credibility, the sooner the better.
