An appellation is a named region where wine grapes are grown, overseen by administrative bodies that set rules for vineyards. The French AOC manages over 300 appellations, while Italy’s DOC focuses on grape varieties and production methods. American wines are labeled primarily by varietals, with the American viticultural area indicating a geographic area.
An appellation is a named region where the grapes used for the production of wine are grown. Most major wine-producing nations have administrative bodies that oversee appellations and set the rules for what standards a vineyard must follow in order to be considered part of the appellation. In some countries, the appellation is also used for other products where the region of origin is considered important, such as cheese in France.
The French appellation system is the most complex and well-defended in the world and is managed by the appellation d’origine contrôlée, commonly referred to as the AOC. The AOC manages over 300 appellations in France, which fall into a number of larger regions. Some of the better known regions include Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire Valley, Alsace, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Languedoc and, of course, Champagne. There are many less famous regions, however, such as Est, Savoy and Corsica, some of which produce some outstanding wines.
Under the AOC guidelines, it is against the law for a wine to represent itself as belonging to a specific appellation if it does not meet the guidelines established for that appellation. This means that any wine with a designation on its label meets certain standards for that region, contains certain minimum and maximum amounts of a specific grape, and follows certain limitations on how the grapes are grown and the wine is made.
In Italy, denominations are governed by the Denomination of Controlled Origin or DOC. Unlike the COA, which attaches great importance to the characteristics of the soil in which the grapes are being cultivated – the terroir – the DOC tends to focus more on the grape varieties used in the production of wines and on the actual production method. Any Italian wine with a denomination on its label has also been tested by a government employee and bears a seal covering the cork to indicate that the wine has not been tampered with after inspection.
American wines tend to be labeled primarily based on varietals and therefore the use of the appellation is much less important. For this reason, the American equivalent of the appellation – the American viticultural area – indicates much less a wine than many European nations. Rather than including limitations on production methods or quantities of various grapes used, an American appellation is simply a geographic area. There are nearly 200 American winegrowing areas in the United States, more than half of which are in the state of California.
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