This is simply not right; France has approved a motion to trademark common grape names, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
It’s expected the French will demand a small payment from non-French wineries to use those names. We’re not supportive of geographic indicators, but at least you can argue that geographic indicators tie a product to a specific place, such as Champagne. Or Napa. But here, the French (as is typical of France, really) have chosen to appropriate varietal names.
The French argument is that the grapes originated in France. “It’s not our fault if our grapes travel well.” Using that logic, the U.S. should trademark “corn” and “oats” and then say it’s not our fault if those grains travel well.