Champagne: Independent wine growers opt for a new slogan

he Champagne Federation of independent wine growers has decided to drop its controversial slogan “100% vérité” (100% truth) in favour of a more consensual strapline: “de A à Z” (from A to Z). At their Annual general meeting on July 20, the 338 Champagne wine growers decided to bury the hatchet by choosing the new strapline.

To prevent any further misunderstandings, a press release states that the slogan conveys the idea of “I am an independent wine grower from A to Z! This Champagne was made by me!” Although the strapline has been changed, the message and future promotional tools remain the same, namely media communication and bottle livery.

The initiative reveals a desire by wine growers to assert their identity within the Champagne wine industry. “We want to stress that we belong to the independent wine grower movement and reassert our authenticity. The new logo will allow us to differentiate ourselves from other strands of the industry, primarily within the region”, explained the chairman of the regional federation, Michel Loriot, last June.

Although they have opted for a peaceful end to the dispute, independent wine growers in Champagne nevertheless bemoan the unfair accusations directed at their slogan “100% vérité” and continue to support its underlying principles: “truth in origin, truth in personality, truth in authenticity and truth in a signature”.

The Champagne independent wine growers’ movement represents 2,400 hectares of vineyards and 13 million bottles.

 (Source: Vitisphere; Illustration: Logo VIF Champagne)