Background
The former vin de table category, which represented the simplest wines produced in France, had suffered from decreasing sales for several decades. These were simple everyday wines that were mainly produced in the south of France. This category had been very difficult to export in an increasingly competitive global wine market, especially since the wines were not allowed to carry a varietal designation or indicate vintage. This meant a distinct competitive disadvantage to New World wines and many other European wines in a similar price range. Simple varietal French wines instead had to use the vin de pays ("country wine") designation, which restricted the sourcing of grapes to the defined vin de pays regions, such as vin de Pays d'Oc from Languedoc-Roussillon. No French wine category existed that allowed a producer to source grapes from Languedoc-Roussillon, Rhône and Provence, but still sell the wine under a varietal designation.
As a result of the ongoing crisis in the French wine industry, Bernard Pomel was tasked with making proposals on how to remedy the situation. The Pomel report was presented to the French minister of agriculture on March 23, 2006, and proposed among other things a simplification of French wine classification, including the elimination the VDQS category, which was done in December 2007. [4] At the same time, the European Union was considering reforms to the wine sector, aiming at reducing the need for subsidies. This also implied reforms of the European Union wine regulations, which went into effect on August 1, 2009. The reform included some liberalisation of the regulations surrounding the EU table wine category. Following that reform, France in 2009 decided to introduce the vin de France category as a replacement for vin de table. [5] The introduction of the category took place in 2010. [1]
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designations. The region's major appellation in production volume is Côtes du Rhône AOC.
Alsace wine or Alsatian wine is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white wine. Because of its Germanic influence, it is the only Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée region in France to produce mostly varietal wines, typically from similar grape varieties to those used in German wine. Along with Austria and Germany, it produces some of the most noted dry Rieslings in the world as well as highly aromatic Gewürztraminer wines. Wines are produced under three different AOCs: Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand Cru AOC for white wines from certain classified vineyards and Crémant d'Alsace AOC for sparkling wines. Both dry and sweet white wines are produced.
Muscat de Rivesaltes is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for fortified wines made in the Roussillon wine region of France. They are similar to Rivesaltes AOC wines, except for the grape varieties used. The wines are white, and made from Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat à Petits Grains grapes, usually in equal quantities, although the appellation rules allow these varieties to be used in any proportion. The alcohol content must be at least 15 per cent by volume, the potential alcohol content at least 21.5 per cent, and the sugar content of the finished wine at least 100 grams per liter.
Rivesaltes is an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for naturally sweet, fortified wines. The name refers to both a production region within Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France, and the style of sweet wines produced there.
In France, the appellation d'origine contrôlée(AOC) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the terroir – and using recognized and traditional know-how. The specificity of an AOC product is determined by the combination of a physical and biological environment with established production techniques transmitted within a human community that, together, give the product its distinctive qualities. These crucial technical and geographic factors are set forth in standards for each product, including wines, cheeses and meats. Other countries and the European Union have similar labeling systems. The European Union's protected designation of origin (PDO and PGI) system has harmonized the protection of all geographical indications and their registration. When labelling wine however, producers may still use recognized traditional terms like AOC, and are not required to display the PDO and PGI logos or terms, mostly for aesthetic purposes.
Vin délimité de qualité supérieure, usually abbreviated as VDQS, was the second highest category of French wine, below appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in rank, but above vin de pays. VDQS was sometimes written as AOVDQS, with AO standing for appellation d'origine. VDQS wines were subject to restrictions on yield and vine variety, among others.
Vin de pays was a French wine classification that was above the vin de table classification, but below the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) classification and below the former vin délimité de qualité supérieure classification. The vin de pays classification was replaced by the EU indication Indication Géographique Protégée in 2009.
Bugey wine is produced in the Bugey region in the Ain département of France, under the two VDQS designations Bugey and Roussette du Bugey. On May 28, 2009, INAO gave its final approval for the elevation of Bugey and Roussette du Bugey to Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status.
French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world, along with Italian, Spanish, and American wine-producing regions. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BCE, with many of France's regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive wines sold internationally to modest wines usually only seen within France such as the Margnat wines of the post war period.
The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many general terms used within the wine industry. For terms specific to viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, and wine tasting, see the topic specific list in the "See also" section below.
Languedoc-Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century has primarily referred to the northern part of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, an area which spans the Mediterranean coastline from the French border with Spain to the region of Provence. The area has around 700,000 acres (2,800 km2) under vines and is the single biggest wine-producing region in the world, being responsible for more than a third of France's total wine production. In 2001, the region produced more wine than the United States.
Cabardès is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for red and rosé wine in Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in France. Cabardès was named after the Lords of Cabaret who defended the Châteaux de Lastours against Simon de Montfort in 1209. Despite the name's medieval origins, this appellation is one of the youngest in France, having only become official in February 1999.
Limoux wine is produced around the city of Limoux in Languedoc in southwestern France. Limoux wine is produced under four Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designations: Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette méthode ancestrale, Crémant de Limoux and Limoux, the first three of which are sparkling wines and dominate the production around Limoux. The main grape of the region is the Mauzac, locally known as Blanquette, followed by Chardonnay and Chenin blanc. In 2005, the Limoux AOC was created to include red wine production consisting of mostly Merlot. Wine historians believe that the world's first sparkling wine was produced in this region in 1531, by the monks at the abbey in Saint-Hilaire.
Costières de Nîmes is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for wines that are produced in an area between the ancient city of Nîmes and the western Rhône delta, in the French department of the Gard. Formerly part of the Languedoc region of France, as the wines more resemble those of the Rhône valley in character than of the Languedoc, it is now part of the Rhone wine area and administered by the Rhône Wine committee which has its headquarters in Avignon.
South West France, or in French Sud-Ouest, is a wine region in France covering several wine-producing areas situated respectively inland from, and south of, the wine region of Bordeaux. These areas, which have a total of 16,000 hectares of vineyards, consist of several discontinuous wine "islands" throughout the Aquitaine region, and more or less to the west of the Midi-Pyrénées region.
The Saint-Chinian is a French wine, from the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of France. It is usually a blend of several grape varieties, and produced in red, rosé, and white versions. Since 1982, the name is protected by an appellation d'origine contrôlée. Its terroir was named after the nearby village of Saint-Chinian.
Faugères is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in France and is named after the town of Faugères, which lies 30 km north of Béziers, in the foothills of the Massif Central, in the département of Hérault. It is a local classification within the Coteaux-du-Languedoc AOC.
In Switzerland, the appellation d'origine protégée is a geographical indication protecting the origin and the quality of traditional food products other than wines.
