There were great celebrations in a small part of France recently as notoriously strict Gallic wine lawmakers for once decided to say "oui" to proposals to extend Champagne country.

OK, so it's only 40 villages in the Rheims area, and it was preceded by decades of internecine feuding. But it's less a right to grow and more a licence to print money, as the other 319 champagne-producing communes (village districts) are struggling to keep up with the rocketing worldwide demand for fizz - some 339 million bottles last sold year, with the UK only second to the drink's home country as the biggest consumer.

But is it a good move for the brand in the long term? It all depends on whether this decision sets a precedent. Suppose demand continues to rise, will this put more of France under vine? Of course, there's a finite limit to the right conditions' such as flinty soil, but every time the area is extended, the brand becomes diluted.

Some of you, who remain less than impressed with Gallic snobbery, may be thinking "good". But any business that wants to protect their brand value can learn a lesson from the way that the French have shielded one of their finest exports.

Think about it - no matter how many times a wine expert tells you that certain supermarket Cava is superior, you'll still buy a bottle of Bollinger or Laurent Perrier for that special occasion, and you'll happily pay more.