An appellation is a legally defined and protected
geographical indication primarily used to identify where the
grapes for a
wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.
History
The tradition of wine appellation is very old. The oldest references are to be found in the Bible, where ''wine of
Samaria'', ''wine of
Carmel'', ''wine of
Jezreel'', or ''wine of
Helbon'' are mentioned. This tradition of appellation continued throughout the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, though without any officially sanctioned rules. Historically, the world's first exclusive (protected) vineyard zone was introduced in
Chianti,
Italy in 1716 and the first wine classification system in
Tokaj-Hegyalja,
Hungary, in 1730.
Europe
France
In 1935, the
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), a branch of the
French Ministry of Agriculture, was created to manage wine-processing in France. In the
Rhone wine region Baron Pierre Le Roy Boiseaumarié
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
, a lawyer and winegrower from
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, obtained legal recognition of the
Côtes du Rhône appellation of origin in 1937. The AOC seal, or
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, was created and mandated by French laws in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Before 1935, despite the fact that the INAO was yet to be created,
champagne enjoyed an appellation control by virtue of
legal protection as part of the
Treaty of Madrid. The treaty stated that only sparkling wine produced in
Champagne and adhering to the standards defined for that name as an
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée could be called champagne. This right was reaffirmed in the
Treaty of Versailles after
World War I.
Germany
Germany is unusual among wine-producing countries in that its most prestigious classifications, the various grades of
Prädikatswein, are based on the
ripeness of the grapes, though their geographical origins are also legally defined. Thus Germany's geographical classification,
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA), is akin to France's defunct
Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure, which has been subsumed into the current
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system.
Georgia
Georgia has 24 registered
wine appellations.
Hungary
Historically, the world's first vineyard classification system was introduced in
Tokaj-Hegyalja,
Hungary, in 1730.
Vineyards were classified into three categories depending on the soil, sun exposure, and potential to develop ''
Botrytis cinerea''. The subdivisions were: first-class, second-class and third-class wines. A decree by the Habsburg crown in 1757 established a closed production district in
Tokaj. The classification system was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.
Italy
Italy's first origin classification system was introduced in
Tuscany in 1716 for delimiting
Chianti production. After the
unification of Italy several attempts were made to introduce some kind of protection for wine appellations, to no avail. Only in 1963 the "
Denominazione di origine controllata" law was approved, starting with 1967 vintage.
Portugal
The world's third-oldest appellation control, after
Chianti and
Tokaj, was introduced in
Portugal in 1756, pertaining to
port wine, which was produced in the region of the Douro valley.
Spain
Some Spanish wines were already famous or even regulated (
Rioja: 1925;
Sherry: 1933) when the market started being regulated. It was not until 1980 that legislation on
denominación de origen was stablished, following the French scheme with more tiers of classification and prompted by the impending accession to the European Union.
North America
Canada
Canadian wine appellations are regulated by the
Vintners Quality Alliance system. The system covers the provinces of
British Columbia and
Ontario.
British Columbia is divided into four "Designated Viticultural Areas" ("DVAs"):
Okanagan Valley,
Vancouver Island,
Fraser Valley, and the
Similkameen Valley. Ontario includes three DVAs:
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the ...
,
Lake Erie North Shore, and
Prince Edward County.
On June 11, 2012,
Nova Scotia launched its first appellation, Tidal Bay.
United States
The
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...
("AVA") is for the United States. The only requirement to use an AVA name on the wine label is that 85% of the wine must have come from grapes grown within the geographical AVA boundaries. The first AVA was in
Augusta, Missouri, in June 1980. The approval of the
Augusta AVA was based largely on its long historical relationship with wine in the United States.
The Augusta wine-growing area is a plot of land along the Missouri River, which moderates temperature and provides an appropriate climate for growing grapes.
States or counties can also be used in lieu of an AVA to designate the origin of a wine, provided that 75% of the grapes used in the wine are grown in the state or county listed on the label.
List of appellations
* European Union:
Protected Designation of Origin
The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...
** Austria:
Districtus Austriae Controllatus
** Cyprus: Ελεγχόμενη Ονομασία Προέλευσης
** France:
Appellation d'origine contrôlée
** Germany:
German wine classification
** Greece: ονομασία προελεύσεως ελεγχομένη
** Italy:
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
** Luxembourg: Appellation contrôlée
** Portugal:
Denominação de Origem Controlada
** Romania:
Denumire de Origine Controlată Denumire de origine controlată (DOC) is a Romanian language appellation regime in Europe to designate food with a particular origin. It is part of the Geographical indications and traditional specialties in the European Union system, and is used f ...
** Spain:
Denominación de origen protegida
* Switzerland:
Appellation d'origine contrôlée
* Australia: Australian Geographical Indications
[ Australian Geographical Indications]
* Argentina:
Denominación de origen - see also:
Argentine wine
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world.H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 300-301 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. D ...
* Canada:
Vintners Quality Alliance
* Brazil:
Denominação de Origem
* Chile: ''see
Chilean wine''
* South Africa:
Wine of Origin
* United Kingdom:
Protected Denomination of Origin
* United States:
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...
See also
*
Protected Designation of Origin
The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...
*
Terroir
*
*
Notes and references
External links
Appellation America Wine Portal Information about recognize
wine appellationsin the United States and Canada.
{{Authority control
Wine terminology