Is the identification of the wine by a controlled Aappellation of Oorigin C a guarantee of quality? Well.not really ! Let's first review some definitions.
The differences between labels
-The AOC is the recognition that all the stages of production of a product are carried out according to a recognized know-how in the same geographical area (terroir). It legally protects these elements at the level of French territory.
In wine, an AOC also defines production rules. Among them, limits of yields, ways of managing the vine, a minimum maturity of the grapes is required at harvest, the use of one or more varieties specific characteristics, a minimum aging time or even a typical taste that consumers are expected to expect from the product.
For example, a white wine in AOC Sancerre must meet a number of criteria to be able to put this name on its bottle. First of all, the grapes used for its production must come from a very precise geographical area (here 14 possible communes in 1 single department, Le Cher). It is defined in the specifications of the appellation that a white Sancerre must be made from 100% of the grape variety Sauvignon and must, as quoted in the specifications of the appellation, "
-PDO (Aappellation of Oorigin Pprotected) is the counterpart of the AOC at European level. It therefore guarantees the same thing as the AOC but within the whole of the European Union.
-IGP (Iindication Ggeographic Pprotected) is a European acronym in the same way as the PDO but its criteria for obtaining are less strict.
For example, the IGP Val-de-Loire covers 14 departments and a white wine from this IGP can be made from the Sauvignon grape variety but also from Chardonnay, Chenin , Melon de Bourgogne, Pinot Blanc, Folle Blanche etc. These grape varieties can be blended to produce the same wine if desired, which absolutely cannot be the case for a wine in AOC Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé!
Vineyards at Sancerre
No more generalizations!
Now that the definitions are clearer, let's get back to business. In 1935, when the AOC system was created, the aim was to protect the consumer by guaranteeing a certain quality and legally preventing certain frauds at a time with very few regulations.
Today, the AOC remains (above all) useful for highlighting a geographical origin and not a level of quality. Indeed, with the hygienic and scientific progress made during the last century, almost all winegrowers with vines in the right place are able to respect the standards established by an AOC.
Another limiting aspect of the AOC: the standardization of taste. As explained a little above, wines from the same AOC must validate certain common taste criteria. The wines from an estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape are therefore tasted by professionals (a tasting committee) in order to check that they fall within the scope of what can be expected from wines from this region (power, depth, richness, etc.) If this can obviously be positive in order not to value certain wines unworthy of the Châteauneuf "brand", it can also eliminate more original wines of high quality that do not correspond to the established tasting criteria. This problem pushes each year several winegrowers, tired of these limiting taste barriers, to leave their AOC definitively and label their bottles with a simple "Vin de France" (the latter can be excellent)!
We can therefore also see the AOC system as a brake on creativity in a world where tradition is king.
Qualitative Truth Scale: The Domain
As you will have understood, the scale of truth is therefore that of the domain and not that of the AOC. We can prefer wines from one region or another, but to say "the wines of Haut-Médoc are excellent while those of Muscadet are bad" does not make sense. In each of these AOCs, demanding and passionate producers exist while others turn to making more common and soulless wines.
Consequently, taste, share, be curious and don't take your purchases as the main criterion for your purchases on the sole notion of appellation! And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call La Cave Éclairée!
