Andre Engels wrote:
On the other hand, sparkling wine from California ''is'' called champagne. Trademarks, especially in the international arena, are seldom absolute.
It's a bad example anyway, because 'Champagne' is not a trademark. A trademark is owned by a single company (although it might allow others to use it). "Champagne" is a _product name_ (and the European Union has specified that only when it is created in a certain region, the product name may be used).
One cannot confuse American champagne with the real stuff. It's all in the taste. Some producers do use the expression that their sparkling wine is produced in the "méthede champennoise".
Ec