Wine has been categorised into different quality classes since ancient times; one of the most famous and best was Falerno. The ratings at that time not only related to the product itself, but also to wine-growing regions and producers. The "Codex Hammurabi" was the first written legislation under the Babylonian King Hammurabi I (1728-1686 BC). This body of laws regulated the everyday order of life and law and also included provisions on wine. These included upper price limits for taverns and merchants depending on the quality of the wine as well as prohibitions and penalties for bad or adulterated wine.
It was recognised early on that, in addition to the work of the winemaker, the soil and the environment also have a major influence on wine quality. In France in particular, terroir and origin have always been highly valued and defined in the Appellation d'Origine Protégée system. The French classification systems are related to this. There are a number of specific systems that apply to individual regions or appellations. Two well-known ones are the famous Bordeaux classification of 1855 and the Burgundy classification.
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