An
appellation is a
geographical indicationA geographical indication is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin...
used to identify where the
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
s for a
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
were grown. 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.
The tradition of wine appellation is very old.
An
appellation is a
geographical indicationA geographical indication is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin...
used to identify where the
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
s for a
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
were grown. 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 SamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
,
wine of Carmel-Geography:Israel*Mount Carmel, coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea**Mount Carmel , places named after Mount Carmel*French Carmel, neighborhood in Haifa...
,
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 vineyard classification system was introduced in
Tokaj-HegyaljaTokaj-Hegyalja is a historical wine region located in northeastern Hungary. Hegyalja means "foothills" in Hungarian, and this was the original name of the region....
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, in 1730.
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, a lawyer and winegrower from
Châteauneuf-du-PapeChâteauneuf-du-Pape is a town and commune in the Vaucluse département in Provence, in southern France. Its name derives from a castle built by the Popes when they ruled from Avignon.-History:...
, obtained legal recognition of the Côtes du Rhône appellation of origin in 1937. The AOC seal, or
Appellation d'Origine ContrôléeAppellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des...
, 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 protectionProtected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are geographical indications, or more precisely regimes within the Protected Geographical Status framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods...
as part of the
Treaty of Madrid (1891)The Madrid Agreement concerning the International Registration of Marks is, among other things, the first treaty to give France legal protection of the word champagne.- The Madrid Agreement :...
. The treaty stated that only sparkling wine produced in Champagne and adhering to the standards defined for that name as an
Appellation d'Origine ContrôléeAppellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des...
could be called champagne. This right was reaffirmed in the
Treaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
after
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
.
Germany
Germany is unusual among wine-producing countries in that its most prestigious classification, Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP), is based on the ripeness of the grapes regardless of their geographical origin. Thus Germany's geographical classification, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA), is akin to France's second-tier Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure.
Hungary
Historically, the world's first vineyard classification system was introduced in
Tokaj-HegyaljaTokaj-Hegyalja is a historical wine region located in northeastern Hungary. Hegyalja means "foothills" in Hungarian, and this was the original name of the region....
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, in 1730.
Vineyards were classified into three categories depending on the soil, sun exposure, and potential to develop
Botrytis cinereaBotrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold.The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of...
. 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
TokajTokaj , is a historical town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 54 kilometers from county capital Miskolc. It is the centre of the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district where the world famous Tokaji wine is produced.- History :...
. The classification system was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.
Portugal
The world's second-oldest appellation control was introduced in
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
in 1756, pertaining to
port winePort wine is a Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, but also comes in dry, semi-dry and white varieties. It is often served as a dessert wine...
, which was produced in the region of the Douro valley.
Canada
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
’s appellations include
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
and
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
. British Columbia is divided into four "Designated Viticultural Areas" ("DVAs"):
OkanaganThe Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2001, the region's population is approximately 297,601....
Valley;
Vancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific coast of North America between 1791 and 1794....
;
Fraser ValleyFraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage the term refers to the stretch of the river...
; and the
Similkameen ValleyThe Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, eventually discharging into the Okanogan River near Oroville, Washington in the United States...
. Ontario includes four DVAs:
Niagara PeninsulaThe Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
;
Lake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the thirteenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
North Shore;
Pelee IslandPelee Island, Ontario, Canada , is an island in the western half of Lake Erie. Pelee Island is connected to the Canadian and United States mainland by ferry service. At 42 km², Pelee Island is the largest island in Lake Erie and the southernmost populated point in Canada...
; and
Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County is a single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario.-Geography and demographics:Prince Edward County is located in Southern Ontario on a large irregular headland or littoral at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, just west of the head of the St....
. Both
provincesThe provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country. The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces are jurisdictions that receive their power and authority directly from the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories...
participate in the
Vintners Quality AllianceVintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and appellation system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wines made under that system in British Columbia and Ontario...
("VQA"), which is modeled after the European system.
United States
The
American Viticultural AreaAn American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury. The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries...
("AVA") is for the United States. The only requirement to use the 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
American Viticultural AreaAn American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury. The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries...
was in Augusta, Missouri, in 1980. Augusta's
wine region approval 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 optimal climate for growing
vitis vinifera.
List of appellations
European Union: Protected Designation of OriginProtected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are geographical indications, or more precisely regimes within the Protected Geographical Status framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods...
-
- Austria Austria: Districtus Austriae Controllatus
- France France: Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des...
- Germany Germany: German wine classification
German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion, especially among non-German speaking wine consumers. The official classification is set down in the wine law of 1971, although some changes and amendments have been made since then...
- Greece Greece: ονομασία προελεύσεως ελεγχομένη
- Italy Italy: Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is an Italian quality assurance label for food products and especially wines . It is modelled after the French AOC...
- Luxembourg Luxembourg: Appellation contrôlée
- Portugal Portugal: Denominação de Origem Controlada
The Denominação de Origem Controlada is the system of protected designation of origin for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.-Wines:...
- Romania Romania: Denumire de Origine Controlată
- Spain Spain: Denominación de Origen
Denominación de Origen is part of a regulatory classification system primarily for Spanish wines but also for other foodstuffs like honey, meats and condiments. In wines it parallels the hierarchical system of France and Italy although Rioja and Sherry preceded the full system...
- United Kingdom United Kingdom: Quality Wine Scheme Australia: Australian Geographical Indications Canada: Vintners Quality Alliance
Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a regulatory and appellation system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wines made under that system in British Columbia and Ontario...
Chile: see Chilean wineChilean wine is wine made in the South American country of Chile. The region has a long viticultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-18th century, French...
South Africa: Wine of Origin United States: American Viticultural AreaAn American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury. The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries...
External links