/* coComment.com Box */
/* SETTINGS FROM DATABASE... */
document.write( "" );
/* ...SETTINGS FROM DATABASE */
/* DEFAULT STYLE... (Override these by adding your CSS LATER ON in the html page) */
document.write( "" );
/* ...DEFAULT STYLE (Override these by adding your CSS LATER ON in the html page) */
/* BOX... */
document.write( "" );
/* ...BOX */
And in Basel, Switzerland, along the Rhine, they have fountains, not only for the humans to use, but below those are dog/cat fountains for them to get a drink out of. And fountains are everywhere, although most of those are for horses that are no longer there." ); document.write( " " ); document.write( "
That was a rough year, he lost his mother, our father (we\'re halves! :)), his stepfather and his mother-in-law in 12 months time, in that order. I made two of those funerals. The second one, the mother-in-law, really just to show my support. I didn\'t hear about his stepfather until afterward, and there wasn\'t much of anything there." ); document.write( " " ); document.write( "
:(" ); document.write( " " ); document.write( "
You may well be the stupidest person ever to get a comment posted on this site.wvFrugan @ TheFlamingoKing : You may well be the stupidest... @TheFlamingoKing: So let me get this straight, a country that wants to protect the name so that anyone who buys Champagne can be assured that it is Champagne is getting French Champagne from the Champagne region is BAD?And the DOC in Italy which assures that your Chianti is, in fact, Italian Chianti from the Chianti region is bad?And your California Winegrowers association which ensures that a wine labeled "Napa" or "Sonoma," doesn\'t import their grapes from Texas and just slap a label on there to make you feel good about the regional wine isn\'t good?Kentucky Bourbon is protected as well - BY LAW.Honestly, you probably were all up in arms that country of origin labeling laws for meat and vegetables weren\'t good enough. But, oh, if the FRENCH come up - let\'s pile on!Honestly, most of your better wines, cured meats and cheeses are protected by massive treaties and laws to ensure consumers are getting what is labeled. They don\'t want someone to pick up a Champagne Bottle with all sorts of French-sounding stuff on it only to research and find out that it was bottled in Hackensack last Tuesday.Oh - and 1997 called - they want their article back on good Sparkling wines that aren\'t Champagne:[www.nytimes.com]The quality of American sparkling wines has been on a happy upswing in recent years, possibly because they have been around now long enough to have some good reserve wines to blend in. This Jordan, which is made from chardonnay and pinot noir, is rich and creamy, and displays a long, elegant finish.Stephmo @ TheFlamingoKing : So let me get this straight, a... @hypnotik_jello: Champagne laws protect someone\'s branding. German beer purity laws promise consumers that the beer was made without funky additives and modern questionable processes. So the latter is of benefit to the consumer.bohemian @ hypnotik_jello : Champagne laws protect someone\'s... @Stephmo: All well and good, except that no one calls wine from Napa "Napa," wine from Sonoma "Sonoma," or Kentucky bourbon "bourbon," yet everyone calls sparkling wine "champagne" regardless of where it is produced.Other than that, perfect analogy /sarc.Daveinva @ Stephmo : All well and good, except that no one calls... @TheFlamingoKing: Nope. Maybe you should lay off the cough syrup before you read Consumerist.mythago @ TheFlamingoKing : Nope. Maybe you should lay off the... @bohemian: To be fair Appellations (which govern lots of things other than Champagne) do generally have some requirements attached. For example bourbon must be made from 51% corn (which granted is rarely a problem given current prices). There are also often inspection and certification requirements, and often minimum quality metrics (aged 2+ years, with a chemical composition between x and y etc). Of course the requirements are determined by the individual governing board, and range from rigid exemplars of quality to "you better have paid the board some money before you sell your rotgut"yasth @ bohemian : To be fair Appellations (which govern lots... @Stephmo: While I agree, in principal, it is the press release that gets me.It\'s one thing to protect your right to sell an iPod, and for only you to be able to call it an iPod (because this is very similar to trademarking).It\'s completely another thing to send out a press release that says a Zune is not a MP3 player.Wombatish @ Stephmo : While I agree, in principal, it is the press... @Wombatish: Or, more accurately, that an iPod isn\'t an MP3 player, it\'s a... sports car. Or something better and more fancy than an MP3 player.Wombatish @ Wombatish : Or, more accurately, that an iPod isn\'t an... @yasth: Some of these situations do provide a benefit to the consumer. German beer purity provides a baseline so the consumer knows what they are getting. I prefer German beers because they are not full of the chemicals some US beer brewers use. There is some benefit to origin labeling if that name carries a premium price. If your paying a premium you want to make sure your getting what you paid for. As the article mentioned sometimes that name isn\'t backed up with a superior product.bohemian @ yasth : Some of these situations do provide a benefit... @TheFlamingoKing: The Consumerist is not for or against market regulation and laws directly. What they support is consumer choice and the idea that real consumer friendly competition only works when it thrives only upon providing quality goods and services at competitive prices. What they are against is anti-competitive business practices, low quality goods and service, and monopolistic scenarios in general. Corrupt market regulation/laws are very capable of producing what The Consumerist is against. However, properly developed, enforced, and funded regulations run by the right people can be extremely beneficial to any capitalistic society.Naame @ TheFlamingoKing : The Consumerist is not for or... @Daveinva: Wait are you joking or serious? I only ask because people do call kentucky bourbon "bourbon" they generally don\'t call it "kentucky bourbon". Your other comments I\'ve got no idea on.YardanCabaret @ Daveinva : Wait are you joking or serious? I only ask... @bohemian: Actually, the Reinheitsgebot was also enacted in part to prevent price competition for rye and wheat, and had the side effect of killing off dozens of local styles that are now lost to history. As beneficial as regulation can be for the consumer, it can have unintended negative consequences as well.Also, on the branding issue: There are only seven Belgian abbeys that can call their products Trappist beers - Westvleteren, Westmalle, Chimay, Orval, Koningshoeven, Achel and Rochefort. The rest, by law, have to call their beers "abbey ales."Ubik2501 @ bohemian : Actually, the Reinheitsgebot was also... " ); document.write( " " ); document.write( "