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When Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand As Ever released its first holiday collection in late 2025, it included more than candles and jams. One of the headliners? A sleek, matte-black bottle of sparkling wine labeled 2021 Vintage Napa Valley Brut. The wine is elegant and crisp, made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes using the traditional bottle-fermented method, known as méthode champenoise. The branding is high-end, the flavors are fresh and complex, and the packaging? Flawless.
But then came the internet rumors: “Isn’t she breaking the law by calling it Champagne?” Some even claimed they were “reporting” her brand for violating international trademark law. The story spread quickly — but the facts tell a different story.
Let’s break it down clearly and simply.
What Did Meghan’s Brand Actually Launch?
The wine in question is part of As Ever’s debut holiday drop. The full name is 2021 Vintage Napa Valley Brut, and it’s made in California. It’s a traditional sparkling wine — not unlike Champagne — using the same method the French have used for centuries, where the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to create its signature bubbles.
Importantly, this bottle never claims to be Champagne. Instead, it highlights its Napa Valley origin right on the label. It uses the term méthode champenoise, which simply describes how the wine was made — not where it’s from.
So, is that illegal? Let’s talk Champagne law.
What “Champagne” Really Means and Why It’s Protected
In the European Union (and the UK), “Champagne” is a legally protected geographical indication known as a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). That means only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France, following strict production rules, can legally use the word “Champagne” on the label.
This is similar to how only Italian cured meats from Parma can be called Prosciutto di Parma, or how only blue cheese from Roquefort can be called Roquefort. The idea is simple: names tied to specific regions should only apply to authentic products from that region.
So, yes — in Europe and the UK, if a sparkling wine from California labeled itself “Champagne,” it would absolutely be in violation of the law. But Meghan’s wine doesn’t do that.
What About the U.S.?
The United States doesn’t treat “Champagne” the same way Europe does. Historically, many American winemakers used the word generically to refer to sparkling wine. Over time, the U.S. agreed to phase out the use of “Champagne” for new labels, although a few older brands like Korbel were “grandfathered in” and still use terms like “California Champagne.”
Today, no new American wine labels can legally use the word “Champagne.” That includes Meghan’s — and crucially, As Ever’s wine label does not use it. It says Napa Valley Brut — not “Champagne.”
Even the phrase méthode champenoise, while frowned upon by European authorities, is still allowed on American wine labels. U.S. wine regulations haven’t banned it, and several Californian sparkling wines still use it to describe their production method. So while it may raise eyebrows among French wine purists, it’s not illegal under American law.
27 Comments
Thank u my lady ❤❤❤❤
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Muchisimas gracias. From Colombia 🇨🇴 ♥️
Hat off to you Elizabeth for the timely clarification of this matter especially for those with low IQ like trolls and derangers and media outlets of the britain
Well said Elizabeth 👏🏾👏🏾
Wow this people are deranged and obsessed… “ not normal “ what miserable lot of people…. Sad souls… living to hate instead of finding joy or build their own! What a waste of time….
It’s the same way Bourbon is only made in the US .
They always make themselves look like fools
Most derangers celebrate with some sweet cheap plonk and are very uneducated including the so called rota clowns.
Thank you for educating us and all of those people that dislike DOS Meghan. ❤👏🏽👏🏽
Praying for Harry and Meghan to be strong it's not easy!
THIS TROLLS ARE BOTS, SO DON'T TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY OUR DUCHESS, PRINCESS MEGHAN IS FREE LYING UNDER THE TREE AND RENT FREE.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑💩💩💩💩💩💩.
It's not laughable. THEY ARE LAUGHABLE. So lol😂😂😂😂😂 to Meghan's stupes
It's clear that these ignorant people don't understand the particulars concerning sparkling wine vs. champagne. The wine offered by Duchess Meghan has the correct labeling. These critics are so desperate to bash her and try to "catch" her in an error. They fail again.
Thank you very much for setting the vultures straight
🙌🙌🫡Thank you for this post, very informative.
Very well done Liz. Loud and clear lesson for those in the back who take forever to learn
Great wine lesson. Thank you .
Meghan Markle' sparkling wine is fit for nothing more than the Soho House where Meghan started looking for a rich man.
Meghan is right back to where she belongs.
The only people idiotic enough to buy that sparkle are her squaddies and even then, you people do not the money to enable Megan to become the billionaire status that she is so desperately seeking.
Back to gutter for her.
😂👏👏👏👏😂😂😂👏👏👏💝
Thank you Elizabeth, well said.❤❤❤❤❤
We have seen a bunch of people get it seriously wrong…the clowns who always get it wrong!
Im so peed off that shes not shipping to the uk! I need jam,champagne, marmalade, candles!
The derangers are all bunch of clowns 🤡🤡🤡🤡
Thank you Elizabeth. You should be absolutely be our you know who, but I will leave that. When I see these people who in these positions, my heart hurts. They are ignorant, no class, unhinged, undignified, and my goodness so much more. Why are those haters so bent on trying to destroy Meghan Sussex? Jealousy, and evvy, and those are some of the reasons she had to run for her existence. Meghan is a brilliant, intelligent, educated smart woman, as yourself Elizabeth. As you have said she would have the best of best people around her to give her advice and she is humble and happy to learn and accept advises. As you said she would have experienced folks are in the winery business to give her the best advice. Nobody knows everything except of course those despicable, deranged, demented, unhinged tabloids. Their jobs are to sit behind a desk with a computer in front of them all day, and do is fabricates, lies, conspiracies, cockamamie stories, fairytales, nothing truthful nothing of substance. And when they cant find anything to fabricate they just make up lies.
Nobody in the UK have held them accountable for destroying peoples lives, livelihoods, and characters. They are liars, racists, ungodly, hateful, unhinged uncivilized. They have no idea what a real journalist is or what is journalism. So sad, and they are the same people who represent or spokespersons for the Imperial dysfunctional family. No wonder they are the way they are. Thank God the Sussexes left, and I hope they never return to the UK. At least not Meghan and her children. Prince Harry is someone who will want to visit his father, and that is his prerogative, but his children absolutely never, very dangerous people. Not all the people those who are racists, and haters of Meghan. Thumbs 👍.
Megan needs to start suing these keyboard trolls who are defaming her name and brand. This young lady has a slue of lawyers who are helping her and advising her on how to proceed. Stop spreading false information.
Unfortunately her wine either the light wine or Blanc was QUITE bitter. After 3 separate vintages all were the taste of vinegar. I don’t know what may have gone wrong with their particular brand however I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility. Just saying… Fortunately after pushing the issue my money was returned😢😢😢😁😁😁😺