Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer is in a bizarre battle with a French vineyard over his attempts to trademark his ‘Cold Palmer’ nickname.
Palmer, 23, has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the game over recent years, during a time in which he has become synonymous for his ‘ice cold’ celebration.
The move sees Palmer motion that he is cold by rubbing his arms and puffing out his cheeks when he scores.
Last year, Palmer then made the move to trademark both the celebration and the name ‘Cold Palmer’, with the hopes to use it to sell a number of different products.
This includes clothes, alcohol, food, toys, toiletries, razor blades and diet drinks.
However, Palmer’s attempts to do this have been challenged by a revered vineyard in the south west of France.
Chateau Palmer, which is in the Margaux region in Bordeaux, believe a trademark of the name would be a threat to their own image.
A major sticking point within Palmer’s application to the Government’s Intellectual Property Office (GIPO) was the fact that he asked for legal protection to be able to market wine.
A section of it read: ‘Alcoholic beverages; alcoholic fruit beverages; pre-mixed alcoholic beverages; wines; spirits; liqueurs; alcoholic energy drinks; low alcoholic beverages; none of the aforesaid including wines complying with the specifications of the PDO Champagne.’
This caught the attention of those at Chateau Palmer, who have subsequently opposed the application.
Chateau Palmer is a highly respected vineyard that is known to sell their wine for as much as £750-a-bottle.
Both sides will have the opportunity to state to their case to lawyers at the GIPO who will eventually rule on the clash.
The Chateau Palmer wine firm was launched in 1814 when British Army officer Charles Palmer acquired the estate and subsequently renamed it from Chateau de Gascq.
It has been described in some quarters as a ‘leading wine estate in Margaux’ that produces wines ‘among the greatest anywhere in Bordeaux’.
Palmer’s wine preferences are unknown and given his status as a Premier League footballer, it is unclear whether the 23-year-old even drinks.
The ‘Cold Palmer’ celebration first came about in December 2023 when he scored during a 3-2 victory at Luton.
However, after the game, Palmer explained the story behind the move and how it wasn’t actually his own idea.
The England international revealed he got the idea from fellow City academy graduate Morgan Rogers, who had celebrated in a similar way when scoring for Middlesbrough against West Brom the previous week.
He told the now Aston Villa man that he would do the same when he next scored and has now made it his own.
