The French Appellation System

The French system of categorizing its wines is the most comprehensive of any country in the world. All the finest wines are designated 'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée', or AOC.

Each AOC has specific rules that cover such things as the grape varieties allowed in the wine, the maximum yield per hectare, the length of ageing. In some cases the rules extend to the method allowed for pruning and training the vines, in the case of Chateauneuf du Pape the Appellation rules dictate that 5% of the harvest must be discarded, regardless of quality, and in some of the dessert wine appellations there are rules that dictate when, and how much, sugar can be added to the grape juice in the event that the naturally occurring sugar levels fall below specified levels. Although most of us would call this cheating, the French call this process 'chaptalisation'.

In order to maintain these regulations each vintage is tested by a tasting committee, and vineyards are not allowed to choose when to pick their own grapes. They must wait until the local essay office approves the original gravity of the grapes, effectively their level of ripeness, before the harvest, or vendange, can begin. Winemakers can choose to wait if they wish, but they can't jump the gun.

In some cases there are local rules in addition to the appellation rules, and these mostly relate to labeling. For example, only in Alsace can AOC wine producers label their wines with the grape variety, and then only if the wine contains 100% of that wine. For example, on an AOC Alsace label you may see either 'Riesling' or 'Gewurztraminer'.

In other areas there are rules that govern the size of type allowed on the label to denote the name of the estate, the name of the appellation, the year of vintage, etc.

Many vineyards have a choice of several Appellations under which they could sell their wines. For example, Chateau Latour, one of the Premiere Grand Crus Classé in the Haut Médoc, could call itself AOC Bordeaux if it wished as it lies within the greater Bordeaux vineyards and obeys the appropriate rules. Because it lies within the Haut Médoc appellation it is also entitled to that appellation, which is worth more than simple 'Bordeaux'. But, Chateau Latour lies within Pauillac, which has its own commune appellation, AOC Pauillac. So Chateau Latour is bottled as AOC Pauillac, whereas Chateau du Raux five miles down the road is bottled as AOC Haut Médoc.

More interesting are the vineyards that can produce entirely different appellations. In Bergerac, for example, the same vineyard can produce a dry white wine, AOCBeregarc sec, as well as the traditional red wine, AOC Beregarc. If their vineyard lies within Monbazillac, they can also produce a dessert wine, AOC Monbazillac. In this unique case, they can even produce two different appellations from the same vines - a Beregarc Sec, harvested at the normal time, and a Monbazillac from grapes harvested several months later after the 'Noble Rot' has become established.

Below AOC are the VDQS, Vin Delimité de Qualité Superier. This is rarely seen these days, and VDQS wines are subject to similar, though less rigid, rules as the AOC.

Below this are the Vin De Pays, with less strict rules again. Being designated AOC is no guarantee of quality. It just means there are a set of rules, and the winemaker has obeyed them. Any winemaker can 'declassify' from the AOC if they wish and produce wines according to their own desire. In a psoh region like St Emilion this would mean slashing the value of their wine, so it doesn't happen. In areas like Vin de Pays de l'Hearualt, Vin de Pay de Languedoc, Vin de Pays de Rousillon, producers stand to lose less by declassification, and these areas have become the focus of experimentation into new methods and cepage, the grapes used in making the wine. An example would be the varietal wines coming out of the south of France such as the intensely aromatic viognier.