Like so much else in the world of wine, the appellation is a French invention. In fact, with its introduction in 1935, the French label is quite simply the oldest of its kind in the world, and for this reason enjoys the greatest trust. The term “appellation” refers to a wine-growing region defined by precise boundaries in terms of origin. In France, all considerations relating to wine are based on the conviction that every wine and its character are irretrievably linked to the region from which it originates. Terroir is the magic word in this context, because the terroir determines the soul and identity of the wine. The appellation itself is one of the most important quality characteristics. Not only does it clearly define and limit the growing area of the grapes. It also specifies important criteria with regard to grape variety, minimum alcohol content and maximum yield. Last but not least, it also serves as protection for winegrowers, as wines that are not typical of the region may not be sold on the market labeled as such. What was introduced at the time as an appellation d’origine contrôlée was so widely accepted that in 2009 it served as the model for the EU-wide system of protected designations of origin in force today. The “C” for Controlée in AOC became a “P” for Protegée in the course of the takeover, and the generally accepted abbreviation is now logically AOP.
