Beer and Wine Weekly Update, April 13, 2015

By Joey Bowling, Beer and Wine Manager

I wanted to spend a little page space this week on French and Italian wine classifications. Have you ever picked up a bottle and wondered what all that abbreviated gobbledegook meant? D.O.C., I.G.T., A.O.C., V.D.P....(head explodes)! I hate when that happens.

Let’s see if I can help a little bit.

France and Italy do not generally label their wines with the varietals used, but instead name it for the place that it was made. So, unless a producer in France is specifically marketing a wine for American consumption (which is happening more and more), you won’t see a French Malbec, you’ll see a Cahors A.O.C. There are very strict laws in Europe regarding what you can and cannot put on a label. A Spanish producer of sparkling Cava could not call his wine Champaign, as it is not from Champaign. Even a wine producer in Champaign must follow firm guidelines in their vinification process to call their juice Champaign, so one could not make a Sauvignon Blanc in Champaign and call it Champaign. The U.S.A. has far more liberal labeling laws, thus California Champaign. But, enough on Champaign!

So, here’s how it works across the pond:

In Italy, there are four classifications: D.O.C.G, D.O.C. I.G.T, and V.d.T.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (D.O.C.G)

This is Italy’s strictest classification, denoting that the wine in question is produced in the most stringent possible framework according to law and tradition.

Denominazione d’Origen Contollata (D.O.C)

This classification also says that the wine was produced within the bounds of the law, but with just a tad more wiggle room.

Indicazione Geografica Tipica (I.G.T)

This designation was created to allow producers to experiment with alternative grape varietals that may not normally find their way into a bottle from that particular region. Some of Italy’s greatest wines actually fall under this category.

Vino da Tavola (V.d.T)

Table wine. This indicates that the wine was made in Italy.

And, in France, there are now only three classifications:

Appellation d’Origine Protogee (used to be Appellation d’Origine Controlee) (AoP and AoC)

This is France’s strictest designation, ensuring that the wine is made in accordance with very narrowly defined ingredients and tradition for its region.

Indication Geographique Protogee (used to be Vin de Pays) (IGP)

This indicates that the wine was made using less stringent guidelines for the region, but it must still pass muster from a panel of experts.

Vin de France (used to be Vin de Table)

This means that the wine was made in France and may not carry any regional names on its label.

Hope this helps next time you're examining a wine label. And always, feel free to ask any one of us in the Beer and Wine Department for clarification or help.  Until next time, Qapla’! –jb.