French Wine Law Flashcards
What does AOC stand for?
Appellation d’Origine Controlee
When was the AOC system created?
1935
Who created the AOC system?
INAO (Institut national de l’origine et de qualite) (aka National Institute of Origin and Quality).
Why was the AOC system created?
- To combat fraud arising from successive attacks of vine disease and lasting impact of phylloxera epidemic in late 1800’s.
- To ensure authenticity and typicity of style.
Define “typicity”.
A term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced.
What rules were adopted as the basis for the broader AOC system?
In 1905, legislation was enacted to prevent the misrepresentation of products, and in 1923 Baron Le Roy and other producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape banded together and created a set of rules for viticulture in their region to raise and ensure quality.
What does the AOC system regulate?
Places where the best French wines can be made and how they can be produced in the interest of quality.
What is the AOP and when was it created?
Appellation d’Origine Protegee
In 2009, a European Union wine-quality designation called the Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) was put into effect with the intention of raising quality and achieving more uniform standards across all member countries. This is a protected designation of origin as a EU-wide appellation.
What are the AOC / AOP quality levels?
- Vin de France
- Indication Geographique Protegee (IGP)
- AOP / AOC (Appellation d’Origine Protegee / Appellation d’Origine Controlee)
True or False: Vin de France is a quality level that produces wines without geographic indication.
True
What are the rules of Vin de France?
- Least restrictive designation
- High yields permitted
- No specific place of origin allowed
- Variety/vintage allowed on label
- Oak chips allowed
What are the rules of IGP / Vin de Pays wines.
- IGP/Vin de Pays — 30% of all French wine
- Fewer restrictions than AOC/AOP
- Hybrids allowed
- Can be varietally labeled
- 85% of fruit must originate from stated geographic region
What are the rules of AOP / AOC wines.
- The highest and most exacting designation for French wines
- Boundaries precisely defined and regulated
- Can be a larger regional area, a small village, or even a single vineyard often based on soil composition
- Grape or grape varieties planted are strictly regulated
- Viticultural practices are regulated
- Vinification or winemaking technique is also regulated
- Aging requirements
- Residual sugar allowance
- 100% of grapes must come from stated AOC/AOP
Which levels of quality produce wines with geographic indication?
- IGP / Vin de Pays
- AOP / AOC
Which levels of quality produce wines without geographic indication?
Vin de France
