The old question of how far geographical names of wines
can be annexed by producers of another locality or another country is apparently to be raised again by France at a forthcoming conference in London. The French naturally feel strongly on the subject. To them, of course, champagne and bordeaux and burgundy mean something definite and specific, and they got a special article put in the Treaty of Versailles to prevent Germany from appropriating any such terms. It is a different matter from, say, whisky, which may come from a Scottish word but does not denote a Scottish district. You can easily enough argue the thing either way. Gin no longer has any special association with Geneva. But the French wines are still associated with special localities, and I cannot help feeling that Australia and South Africa and California would be exhibiting more faith in their own products if they boldly gave them names of their own instead of sending them sailing under French (or in the case of hock German) colours.
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