– History:
– Oldest wine appellation references in the Bible include Samaria, Carmel, Jezreel, and Helbon.
– First exclusive vineyard zone in Chianti, Italy introduced in 1716.
– First wine classification system in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary, in 1730.
– Tradition of wine appellation continued through Antiquity and Middle Ages without official rules.
– Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) seal mandated by French laws in the 1950s-1970s.
– Europe:
– INAO established in France in 1935 to manage wine processing.
– Legal recognition of Côtes du Rhône appellation in 1937.
– Champagne enjoyed appellation control pre-1935 due to the Treaty of Madrid.
– Germany’s prestigious classifications based on grape ripeness.
– Georgia has 24 registered wine appellations.
– North America:
– Canadian wine appellations regulated by Vintners Quality Alliance in British Columbia and Ontario.
– British Columbia has four Designated Viticultural Areas (DVAs).
– Nova Scotia launched its first appellation, Tidal Bay, in 2012.
– American Viticultural Area (AVA) for the United States.
– Augusta AVA in Missouri, established in 1980, with historical ties to wine.
– External Links:
– Information about recognized wine appellations in the United States and Canada.
– Appellation America Wine Portal.
– Look up “appellation” in Wiktionary.
– Australian Geographical Indications.
– Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation – Table of Australian Geographical Indications with links to maps.
– Spain:
– Spanish wines like Rioja and Sherry regulated before 1980.
– Denominación de Origen legislation established in 1980.
– Modeled after the French scheme with more tiers of classification.
– Prompted by Spain’s impending accession to the European Union.
– Legislation on denominación de origen stablished in 1980.
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.