To many whisky connoisseurs, a bottle of Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie evokes the moody Scottish countryside, with images of rolling hills and glens, or valleys.

What about a bottle of Glen Buchenbach, which is made in southwest Germany?

The European Court of Justice said on Thursday that a German distiller’s use of the term “glen” could mislead or confuse customers about the origins of its beverage, potentially suggesting it was a product of Scotland. The ruling by the European Union’s highest court left the final decision to judges in the German city of Hamburg.

Europe has been here before. The region strictly polices what food can be called and what ingredients can go into certain well-known dishes. European Union officials even provoked anger when they tried to tell Belgians how to cook frites, a local variation of French fries that have been made in the country for generations.

Countries in Europe zealously guard their gastronomic heritage, and the European Union itself maintains a list of “protected” dishes and drinks from various parts of the region. Even the use of generic terms like milk and cream is regulated.