The George W. Bush Years

Korbel California Champagne was first used by the White House during the second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in 1985. It has become an Inaugural tradition ever since. Korbel Champagne Cellars are based in Guerneville, California and trace their roots back to 1882. Although there are international agreements that prohibit distributors from labeling any sparkling wines other that those that originate in the Champagne region of France as Champagne, several American producers operate under a loophole that allows them to identify their product as champagne.

After World War I, there was a section in the Treaty of Versailles (which ended the war) that was written to protect the French Champagne industry. It established that only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France could be labeled as Champagne. Even though the United States signed the treaty, the U.S. Senate never ratified it. That meant the sparkling wine industry in America was left with a loophole and wasn’t bound by the agreement.

The situation wasn’t resolved until trade talks took place between the United States and the European Union. In 2005 it was agreed that California Champagne, Chablis, Sherry and a half-dozen other semi-generic names would no longer appear on domestic American labels. The only exceptions would apply to any producers who were using one of those labels prior to March 10, 2006. That made it lawful for Korbel to continue to label its product California Champagne. (It had to include the place of origin).

This bottle was obtained from the stock provided in the Presidential Box at the Kennedy Center during the George H.W. Bush Administration. Various versions of Korbel California Champagne have been used for other White House dinners and special events.