French Winemaking Regulations and Classifications

Question 1

In ascending order the three categories of French wine as designated by the Ministry of Agriculture are?

Answer 1

1. Vin
2. Indication géographique protégée (IGP)
3. Appellation d’origine protégée (AOP)

Question 2

What the Vin classification of wine in France?

Answer 2

There are no limits set on the total yield of grape per area of land or volume of juice per quantity of grapes. French Vin currently constitutes approximately 10% of total annual wine production and is largely produced in the southern Mediterranean reasons of France.

Question 3

What is the Indication géographique protégée (IGP) classification in France?

Answer 3

In total these wines make up about 35% pf total French production. This is where you can find relatively new vineyards, marked at competitive prices with labels marked by their varietal.

IGP wines must conform to regulations about the defined geographic are of production and be made from any of the recommended (not necessarily by law) grape varieties for that area. AT LEAST 85% OF THE GRAPES USED TO MAKE THE WINE MUST COME FROM THE NAMED REGION.

In effect, this hierarchical system mirrors a similar structure that exists for appellation d’origins protégée wines, where smaller subappellations are contained within larger appellations that together make up a whole region.

Question 4

What is the Appellation d’origins protégée (AOP) classification in France?

Answer 4

It literally means “protected naming of origin”. In other words, the AOP system is all about the grapes and where they are grown. As a result most French AOP wines carry a place name on the label.

Representing around 55 percent of all French wines, this category and the laws that govern its production are supervised by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origins de Vins et Eaux-de-Vie (INAO).

To qualify for the use of a specific place name, AOP wines must comply with the following regulations.

1. All grapes must be grown within the specified location.
2. The wine must be made with grape types approved for that location.
3. Wine must reach a minimum alcohol level.
4. There is a maximum yield specified for each appellation. Generally the smaller and more revered sites have smaller permitted yields, thereby assuring that higher-quality wines will be made from grapes with more concentrated flavors.
5. Certain vinicultural practices are regulated, such as pruning methods or training techniques.
6. The wine must be tested by taste and by chemical analysis before being bottled and marketed.

Within the category of AOP, there is a provision in some regions for specific vineyards to be designated as Grand Cru or Premier Cru.

Question 5

What is Vin de table?

Answer 5

Simply put it is a “table wine”. On the label it only needs to denote that it is a wine from France.