French AOC Rating System

The AOC system was implemented by the INAO (French National Authority of Wine Regions) from 1935. The full name is: Appellation d'Origine Controlee, in which Appellation means name; d' is the meaning of "of" in English, and the French is the abbreviation of de; the "O" is the meaning of "of" in English, and the French is the abbreviation of de. The letter "O" represents the origin of the wine; Controlee is the meaning of control and restriction, so AOC can be interpreted as "Appellation of Origin Control Act".

This is a quality assurance system, and its classification is quite strict. Each AOC appellation defines a complete range within which only specific grape varieties can be planted, and there are restrictions on the density of vines planted per hectare and on the amount of production, and the grapes can only be harvested after the specified harvesting date, and they have to reach a set level of ripeness. The wine must be inspected and tasted by a committee, and the wording and labeling of the wine after bottling are strictly regulated. In addition, the AOC system also serves to guarantee the quality of the wines and to preserve the characteristics of each region's wines.

AOC wines can only mean that the French government guarantees that the wines produced in the region are cultivated and produced according to strict methods, but it does not mean that the wines are the best in terms of quality or flavor. But even so, it's easy to recognize a truly superior wine, and usually the smaller the range of origin, the more detailed the vineyard location, and the stricter the regulations, the higher the AOC rating.