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Wine Term: AOC

The wine term AOC, stands for Appellation D'Origine Controlee and it is the French system of qualifications for food. It was actually started in order to regulate the production of Rocquefort and now covers over 300 wine appellations throughout France. These standards cover the processes that:

-the wine undergoes
-types of grapes used in an appellation
-and the length of time they stay in barrels among other processes.

The reasoning behind this system of regulation is the idea of terroir
or the idea that the characteristics of the land, weather and a million other things change the wine. It makes absolute sense and if you haven't read my definition of it, read it. Terroir and the concept behind it is a beautiful thing.

Some of the my favorite wine appellations are:

Guigal Gigondas 2000 from Labels at Wine Library

- Pauillac
- Margaux
- Champagne
- Chablis
- Chinon
- Gigondas (there are some great deals here)
- Pouilly-Fuse
- Pouilly-Fume
- St. Emilion
- Sancerre
- Sauternes
- Tavel
- Vouvray

I figure with over 300 everybody could use a place to start. Be sure that the wine you are trying is bottled au chateau. Otherwise, you are probably drinking an inferior wine.

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