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About French Wine

French wine was brought from Greece to France since 600 B.C. French wine was one of the most important during the ancient time since very little water was safe to drink. French wine in the ancient time and French wine today have very little in common. Through times, French wine making has already refined into an art

Regulations in French Wine

French wine like many other things in France seem to be regulated, from their language to the names parents choose for their children… and of course French wine. However, regulating of French wine is certainly a good thing for wine lovers.

French wine laws ensure that information printed on the label is correct and informative. With some essential background knowledge of the wine regulations, it can be simple and logical. As compared to their counterparts from other countries or regions, French wine label certainly tells a little bit more… … even to beginners.

French Wine System

When you see Appellation d'Origine Controlee on the French wine label, it simply means "name of regulated wine region" as most French wines are named after places and not grapes. Each wine district has its own organization for enforcing the Appellation Controlee regulations that are specific to that region.

French Wine Label

Under French laws, wine can be classified under one of the four categories. One of these descriptions must appear on the label of every French wine:

Appellation d'Origine Controlee is the highest category. On most labels, "d'Origine" is replaced by the actual place name. Example: Appellation Bordeaux Controlee which indicates a wine from the Bordeaux region. French wines of this category range from mid-premium to noble quality.

Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieur the second category of French wines which range from mid-premium to premium in quality.

Vins de Pays is the lower category which literally means "country wine." The place indicated on the label will encompass a much larger area than the places named in the Appellation d'Origine Controlee and Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieur. French wines of this category are basically low-premium wines.

Vin de Table belongs to the lowest category of the French wines. These French wines are just ordinary table wine which usually indicate neither the region nor the grape varieties on the wine label. French wines of this category are the lowest quality and sometime contain in "plastic bottles".

Additional French Wine Category

Vins de Pays D'Oc indicates the very few French wines from the lower two category which are sold in the U.S and other countries. French wines classified under this category are labeled with some wine regions that now make fine varieties or blended wines. This is an indication of the progress of the French winemaking. French wines from this category certainly give "value for money" for the kind of price.

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