A ‘tongue in cheek’ social media post by a small Kent sparkling wine producer has got one of the giants of the French Champagne industry fizzing with indignation.
Bollinger took offence after Canterbury-based Folc launched a new sparkling rosé, with an advert saying: “None of the same old Bollie… It’s not Champagne, It’s Pink Champers.”
The offending Folc wine ad which sparked a legal letter from Bollinger
But this has led to a legal letter from Bollinger demanding Folc remove the post and “cease and desist” from repeating it.
The company, which produces three million bottles of Champagne a year, also claimed the advert “denigrated” its trademark and attempted to “divert orders from consumers”.
It has left Folc founder and CEO, Tom Cannon, flabbergasted, saying it is a David versus Goliath scenario.
He believes it is a huge overreaction by Bollinger and a heavy-handed attack on a small player in the wine world.
“The letter came out of the blue from solicitors acting for Bollinger’s distributors,” said the 35-year-old, who started the company in 2019.
Folc wines founder Tom Cannon
“I must admit I was taken aback because we are really just a minnow of the industry.
“We have just launched our first sparkling rosé and the idea of the ad, which we posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages, was just to be light-hearted with a classic bit of cheeky British humour.
“Being a small brand with just six direct employees and a tiny marketing budget, you want to make a bit of noise and stand out as much as possible, so we’re trying to be a bit creative.
“I never dreamed that Bollinger would take such offence and get heavy-handed with us. Evidently, they don’t share our sense of humour.
“They could have just picked up the phone to us because it was a bit of a shock to get a threatening legal letter.
Folc wines founder Tom Cannon at maker Defined Wine in Bridge
“But we consulted our solicitors and took down the adverts because we don’t want any more problems.”
Mr Cannon says most people in the Kent wine-growing industry also think it was an over-the-top reaction.
They include the founder of the Chapel Down Group, Frazer Thompson, who accused Bollinger of “lacking grace and humour”.
Bollinger has been contacted for a comment.
Mr Cannon worked in finance and venture capital before founding Folc to bring English rosé wines to the market, using a blend of eight grape varieties.
Working with vineyards across Kent, Sussex and Surrey and Bridge-based winemakers Defined Wine, the company has grown from producing 3,000 bottles in its first year to 100,000 in 2025.
The produce has also collected several awards, including a prestigious gold medal in the Independent English Wines Awards.