 French wine law is an evolving body of legislation that over the course of the previous century was highly effective in adding value for the grower and reasonably effective in protecting the consumer from fraud. Today, it is coming under fire for acting as a hindrance to French wine exports. It remains, however, a model of elegant simplicity that is enormously useful for those who know how to use it.
The appellation system in France was put in place to protect growers in the wake of rampant fraud during the severe shortages of quality wine and the surplus of wine from low quality hybrid grapes that followed the phylloxera crisis of the late 19th century, the First World War and the great depression. It guarantees the origin of a wine, but it does not guarantee the quality.
The essence of French wine law lies in the demarcation of the various regions, a process that was began slowly, region by region. These regional efforts at defining the limits of various regions continued throughout the first decades of the 20th century. The system as we know it today stems from the definitions created by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine or INAO beginning in 1935.
The Institut National des Appellations d’Origine or INAO defines the area of production, the maximum yield, approved viticultural and winemaking techniques, the minimum (and sometimes maximum) and the potential alcohol in the grapes at harvest. It has established four levels of wine:
 Vin de Table is the most basic variety, with very few restrictions. The proportion that it represents of total production has been steadily declining, encouraged by laws that mandate distillation of a given percentage after a production ceiling of 100 hl/ha. Vins de Table account for about 20% of French production annually.
Vin de Pays is the next category in the hierarchy. It was created to distinguish well made “country wine” from the lowest level of vin de table, and it is given a general regional appellation. The restrictions on the type of grape that can be planted, the methods that can be used, and the yield are more relaxed than for Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC), but more stringent than vin de table. Vins de Pays account for about a third of French production by volume.
Vin Delimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) is a level between Vin de Pays and full appellation status. Today, this is a minute proportion of French wine, and was essentially created as an interim level in the transition between Vin de Pays and AOC.
Appellation d’Origine Controlée is the highest level of French wine, with the most stringent definitions of wine regions, grape varieties, yields and permitted techniques. It is interesting to note that vineyards producing AOC wines account for only 57% of the surface area in France, but generate 80% of the revenue for the industry.
 The appellation story, however, does not quite end with AOC – many regions have further classifications within this level. These are referred to broadly as “crus” or growths. Some systems, like that of Bordeaux (described below) have no definition in AC legislation yet are widely recognized and commercially important.
In Burgundy, a system of regional / commune / premier cru / grand cru is defined by the INAO, and is vital to understanding Burgundy. Here, according to the Bureau Interprofessionnel de Vins de Bourgogne or BIVB, 54.5% of the wine is regional or sub-regional (i.e. Bourgogne rouge or Mâcon Villages), 34% is communal (with the name of the village attached, such as Pommard). 10% of the wine is premier cru, labeled with the village name and the name of the parcel or climat (i.e. Volnay premier cru Caillerets). These superior climats are defined by the INAO on the basis of differences in terroir. A final 1.5% is grand cru, labeled with just the vineyard name (i.e. Le Montrachet).
In other regions, such as Alsace, the system of ranking the terroirs is in place, but carries less weight, while in still others such as Banyuls or Côtes de Provence the consumer knows little about the classification system.
One problem cited by opponents of the current legislation is excessive yields. Some posit a roughly inverse correlation between concentration and yield – as yields go up, concentration of aroma and flavor in the wine tends to go down. The current system sets a yield for each appellation (known as the rendement de base). This is adjusted each year according to special conditions (rendement annuel). Growers, however, are allowed to exceed this figure by 20% (plafond limite de classement) if they submit samples for tasting.
Another type of disagreement with the system comes from those who argue that the system is too stringent, and that it stifles innovation. French law prohibits inter-regional blending (so common in the US and Australia), as well as oak chips and a host of other techniques that are widely employed in countries with looser regulation. Some critics contest that easing these restrictions would allow French wine producers to compete on an even footing in export markets. Traditionalists, however, argue that it is the strict INAO definition of the wine types that gives value to French wine.
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Wine Regions of the World
