Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 11/6/17

Many U.S. wine groups are supportive of geographic labeling and fear that an effort led primarily by the U.S. dairy industry to get the administration to crack down on Japan and Mexico (two of America's biggest trading partners) with respect to EU regional food names could undermine efforts to protect regional wine names in the U.S.

The EU, which is working on trade deals with Japan and Mexico, has pushed to have them (and other countries) protect the names of its food and beverages. The fight mostly revolves around recognizing cheese names, many of which the U.S. industry considers generic. But winemakers in the U.S. -- like the ones who make the long-established California Cabernet -- would like to be recognized brands.

"The U.S. government can effectively support increased exports of U.S. wines from U.S. wine-growing regions by allowing for the continued protection of wine-growing place names," the groups wrote in a letter to Trump. "That is why we urge you not to intervene with Japan or Mexico to narrow the scope of wine place names protected by their agreements with the European Union."