The designation AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) valid in France for the highest wine quality level "wines of protected origin". This corresponds to a quality wine in accordance with the new EU wine market regulation that came into force in August 2009, in which wines are divided into two classes, with and without an indication of origin. However, the traditional designation AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) may continue to be used. The category VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure) category, which had been regarded as an AOC preliminary stage, has been cancelled without replacement.

Protégée replaces Contrôlée

The change from Contrôlée to Protégée means a much more far-reaching and transparent set of rules. An independent inspection organisation checks whether a wine complies with the specifications for the respective appellation, which are specific to each appellation. The controls cover the entire production chain, from the barrel to the bottle. The appellation then applies not only to a specific tank, but to the entire winery. The link to the terroir is therefore even more important than before with AOC. There are three levels: AOP Cru (wines from a vineyard, site or parcel), AOP communal (municipality) and AOP regional (region).

History of origin

Two far-sighted men in particular laid the foundations. The first was Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié (1890-1967), who, as the owner of Château Fortia in the southern Rhône, defined an area in the 1920s that was particularly suitable for 10 (later 13) grape varieties and wine due to the prevailing climate and soil type. After long endeavours, the boundaries were finally defined in 1929, but it was not until 1935 that the area was classified as Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This was also a decisive impetus for the term terroir.

The second proponent was the professor of agriculture Joseph Capus (1867-1947). He took the "cheese scandal" as an opportunity to denounce the common practice in Bordeaux of producing wine from any grape and using any method. Under his influence, the law was expanded in 1927 to include specifications for winemaking. These stipulated that only those grape varieties sanctified by loyal, long-established local custom could be used. This is why Capus is considered the godfather of the appellation law, which is still referred to today as "la loi capus".

Gradually, the authorised methods regarding pruning, maximum yield, ripeness of the grapes and vinification methods were included. In 1935, the "Comité National des Appellations d'Origine" was founded on the initiative of Capus and Boiseaumarié. This was the forerunner of the INAO, which was founded after the Second World War (1939-1945). This supreme authority of French viticulture, based in Paris, decrees and controls all appellations. Applications for new appellations must include proof of the traditional use of the desired...