An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.
History
The tradition of associating a wine with its place of origin is thousands of years old. The oldest references are to be found in the Bible,[citation needed] where wine of Samaria, wine of Carmel, wine of Jezreel, or wine of Helbon are mentioned. This tradition of appellation continued throughout the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, though without any officially sanctioned rules. Historically, the world's first exclusive (protected) vineyard zone was introduced in Chianti, Italy, in 1716 and the first wine classification system was established in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary, in 1730.[citation needed]
Europe
Austria
The Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) scheme was gradually introduced in Austria from 2002 to 2023. It is modelled after the French AOC system. All Austrian quality wines[clarification needed] have a round, red and white striped "Banderole"[clarification needed] on the capsule, which ensures that it has been inspected and approved by the government tasting authority and fulfills the requirements for "Qualitätswein", such as maximum yields per hectare, minimum must weight and alcohol levels and guaranteed origin of the grapes.
Before 1935, despite the fact that the INAO was yet to be created, champagne enjoyed an appellation control by virtue of legal protection as part of the 1891 Treaty of Madrid. The treaty stated that only sparkling wine produced in Champagne and adhering to the standards defined for that name[by whom?] as an appellation d'origine contrôlée could be called champagne. This right was reaffirmed in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles after World War I.
Germany
Germany is unusual[citation needed] among wine-producing countries in that its most prestigious classifications, the various grades of Prädikatswein, are based on the ripeness of the grapes, though their geographical origins are also legally defined. Thus Germany's geographical classification, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA), is akin to France's former vin délimité de qualité supérieure, a less restrictive designation that was not popular in use and was abolished in 2011, being subsumed into the current appellation d'origine contrôlée system.
Georgia
As of October 2026[update], Georgia has 44 registered wine appellations of origin. Georgia also has looser registered geographical indications that can be used and one additional appellation of origin identified as "published" but not yet "registered".
Hungary
Historically, the world's first vineyard classification system was introduced in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary, in 1730.[citation needed]
Vineyards were classified into three categories depending on the soil, sun exposure, and potential to develop the Botrytis cinerea fungus (which causes both the detrimental bunch rot and beneficial noble rot). The subdivisions were: first-class, second-class and third-class wines. A decree by the Habsburg crown in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj. The classification system was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.[citation needed]
Italy
Italy's first origin classification system was introduced in Tuscany in 1716 for delimiting Chianti production. After the unification of Italy in 1871, several attempts were made to introduce some kind of protection for wine appellations, but these did not succeed until the "Denominazione di origine controllata" law was approved in 1963, starting with 1967 vintage.[citation needed]
Portugal
The world's third-oldest appellation control, after Chianti and Tokaj, was introduced in Portugal in 1756, pertaining to port wine, which was produced in the region of the Douro valley.[citation needed]
Spain
Some Spanish wines were already famous or even regulated (Rioja: 1925; Sherry: 1933) when the market started being regulated. Formal legislation on denominación de origen was established starting in 1980, following the French scheme with more tiers of classification and prompted by the impending accession to the European Union.
American Viticultural Area ("AVA") is the type of appellation used for the United States. The only requirements to use an AVA name on the wine label are that 85% of the wine must have come from grapes grown within the geographical AVA boundaries and the wine must be fully finished within the US state where the AVA is located. The first AVA was in Augusta, Missouri, established in June 1980. The approval of the Augusta AVA was based largely on its long historical relationship with wine in the United States. The Augusta wine-growing area is a 15-square-mile (39km2) plot of land along the Missouri River, which provides a moderate temperature and appropriate climate for growing grapes.
States or counties can also be used in lieu of an AVA to designate the origin of a wine, provided that 75% of the grapes used in the wine are grown in the state or county listed on the label.[citation needed]
↑Ezekiel 27:18 Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool
12"IPCG". www.sakpatenti.gov.ge. Retrieved October 12, 2026.
