European Union Wine Label Information | Wine-Searcher.com
Each EU country has its own quality categories which correspond to PDO. The most significant are: France: AOC ( Appellation d'Origine Contrlée) Italy: DOC ( Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and DOCG ( Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) Spain: DO ( Denominación de Origen) and DOCa ( Denominación de Origen Calificada)
A Guide To AOC and DOP Labels | Gourmet Food Store
Below we give you a rundown of the two most known protected label – the French AOC and the Italian DOP. AOC Whenever you read about the most famous and sophisticated French cheeses, you will usually find it certified by the label “AOC”.
Appellation d'origine contrlée
In France, the appellation d'origine contrlée ( 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 Wine Appellations of the US, France, Italy, and Spain
AOP is France’s highest and most rigid classification system. Wines labeled after appellation (e.g. “Sancerre”) will have a specific set of grapes they are legally allowed to use. Vin de Pays (IGP) This classification is the everyday French wine. The regional designation is less strict with more allowed grape varieties.
What Is DOC and DOCG Wine? Differences Between DOC, DOCG
There are four main categories of Italian wine label classifications, ranging from lowest quality to highest quality: Vino da Tavola (VdT): Wine without a geographical indication is called Vino da Tavola, or VdT, which means “table wine.”
- What are AOP & AOC labels?
- In France, AOP and AOC are labels in the food and wine industry to indicate and protect traditional regional products. It can be confusing to understand what it brings to a product you find in a market or why it matters so we’ve put together an explanation. Read on to discover more about these labels and what they mean for you.
- Does the label AOC / AOP guarantee a product's authenticity?
- No. The label AOC or AOP on food and wine products only provides consumers with a guarantee of authenticity indicating that the product’s production has adhered with historical and traditional methods. It doesn’t, however guarantee the skill of the producer, the heating process etc.
- Is AOP a sign of quality?
- The AOP became a legal label in 1992 as a Pan-European sign of quality. Many consumers around the world, and surprisingly that includes quite many French men and women, assume that the products carrying the AOC and AOP labels have been recently tested for both quality and taste.
- Which cheeses are protected by the label AOC & DOP?
- Below we give you a rundown of the two most known protected label – the French AOC and the Italian DOP. Whenever you read about the most famous and sophisticated French cheeses, you will usually find it certified by the label “AOC”.
- How many French wines have the AOC designation?
- Currently there are over 300 French wines that can use the AOC designation on their labels. Famous wine making areas to have this include Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Chablis. There are over 40 cheeses with the AOC label including the first cheese to receive the designation, Roquefort.
- What products have AOC status?
- Fifty dairy products, mostly cheeses, carry the AOC; 51 fruit and vegetable products, including olive oils have it; and 363 wines and eaux-de-vie have AOC status. The AOP, otherwise known as the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is the European equivalent of the AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée).
