When it comes to AOC wine and French classifications, it can feel really complicated really fast. But if you know some basics, youâll find that understanding comes pretty easily. Plus, itâll help you drink better wine!
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What is AOC Wine?
Have you ever been buying wine and noticed the words AOC somewhere on the label?
AOC is short for Appellation dâOrigine ContrĂŽlĂ©e, and refers to standards set for wines made in France. There are 363 AOCs for wine and spirits in France which control everything from how the grapes are grown to what wine varieties are in the bottle.
The French wine classification correlates with the European Unionâs PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) which protects all kinds of regional food specialties such as Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in Italy.
In France, there is a governing body called the INAO: the Institut National de lâOrigine et de la QualitĂ©. This branch of the French Ministry of Agriculture ensures quality for wine, cheese, and other food products.
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Designations of AOC Wine
Within the AOP itself, youâll find several designations that reflect location and quality.
- Regional: This refers to the broadest sense of an AOC. Examples: Bordeaux, Burgundy.
- Sub-Regional: Within those regions are smaller subregions known for more specific wine or terroir. Examples: Bordeauxâs MĂ©doc sub-region, Burgundyâs Chablis sub-region.
- Commune/Village: Narrowing further within a subregion, these areas are sometimes only a few miles in scope. Examples: Pauillac in MĂ©doc, CĂŽtes dâAuxerre in Chablis.
- Special Classification: An AOC might be further specified for quality at this point, indicating a Cru, which refers to a specific vineyard or group of vineyards typically recognized for quality.
Where Did the AOC Come From?
In an effort to control the reputation of wine and other cultural foods, France established the INAO in 1935. Support for the creation of the AOC itself was in large part due to winemaker Baron Pierre Le Roy, leading to the first designated AOC: ChĂąteauneuf-du-Pape.
By 1937, the establishment of the AOC for classic winemaking regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne took place, setting about standards and rules that are still in effect today.
For example, AOC laws ensure that if you buy a bottle of French wine labelled âChampagne,â youâre getting a sparkling wine made in the traditional method from the region of Champagne with Chardonnay, Meunier, and/or Pinot Noir. (And thatâs just scratching the surface of standards.)
Whatâs an IGP?
There is another tier of French wine thatâs well worth investigating called IGP wines. This classification name stands for Indication GĂ©ographique ProtĂ©gĂ©e or âVin de Paysâ as in, a âcountry wine.â
IGP lists 74 geographical areas and 150 unique designations. Some examples include Pays dâOc, ComtĂ©-Tolosan, and Val de Loire.
IGP regional wines allow for more grape varieties and a less strict set of standards in the creation of said wine. That means there are fewer rules, which leads to a much greater variation in quality than one would generally see in an AOC wine. In some rare instances, producers choose this classification because their wines fall outside of the ruleset for AOC.
Whatâs the Difference Between AOC and IGP?
If an AOC refers to specific locations and specific rules, an IGP broadens those rules. Usually, an IGP comes from a larger area with fewer regulations on grape growing and varieties allowed. For this reason, itâs pretty common for a French IGP wine to list what grape varieties are used on the label.
For example, with a bottle of wine from the Bordeaux sub-region of Sauternes, you generally know what to expect: a sweet white wine concentrated by botrytis, made from up to three specific grapes. However, a wine from the IGP of Pays dâOc might refer to a white, red, or rosĂ© wine of various styles and grape varieties.
This doesnât mean that youâll automatically prefer a wine from an AOC over one from an IGP. Just that the standards set in the AOC are more specific.
What is Vin de France?
Technically speaking, Vin de France has the lowest-quality position of all French wine. Vin de France refers to basic table wines with no specific region assigned to it. With these designations, the only guarantee youâre getting is that the wine itself is from France. Grapes can come from any number of regions, and the winemaking standards are the least strict of all.
In fact, if wineries classify their wines under âVin de Franceâ theyâre not allowed to list the origins of the grapes. For the most part, these are the lowest quality wines from France.
In rare cases, French wineries choose to âbuck the systemâ and create a totally unique wine that doesnât follow the rules. These wines get declassified to Vin de France. This exact scenario happened to the 2015 vintage of GravesâBordeaux producer, Liber Pater, who used ancient regional grapes not officially allowed in Bordeaux wines. Still, the winery sold them for $5500 a bottle!
Franceâs Standards Set
Classification laws like AOC are part of what establish Franceâs reputation as a producer of reliably great wine.
And while there are no rules that say an AOC is always going to be your personal favorite, these wine regulations have been very influential in how other regionâs wines operate throughout the world.