protected origin

For wine quality level, see under Origin.

One of the most important criteria for the quality and distinctiveness of a wine is the controlled geographical origin of the grapes from which it is made. The "controlled" means that the legal wine requirements are also regularly and strictly checked. The most important reason is to protect against wine adulteration. Even in ancient times, it was customary to name wines according to their origin.

Oldest systems of origin

The oldest European appellations of origin include the area defined for Chianti in 1716 and the borders defined for port wine in 1756. However, the great pioneer of a nationwide system was France, where a comprehensive appellation system (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) was adopted after the end of the First World War (1914-1918). This established a locally defined and controlled geographical origin and winemaking methods for all agricultural products. Under the sovereignty of the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine), the rules for viticulture were perfected after the Second World War (1939-1945).

Terroir & wine typicity

Closely related to the appellation system in France is the comprehensive term terroir, which has been internalised by producers. This encompasses the complex influence or interplay of climate (microclimate), weather, soil type, grape varieties and, last but not least, the art of the winemaker to create the unmistakable typicity of a specific, geographically defined area. The French system served as a major model for the wine regulations of most wine-growing countries in Europe and, in some cases, the New World.

Kriterien für das Terroir

The six factors for the terroir are climate (micro-, macro-, meso-, topoclimate), grape variety (with regard to climate, soil type), soil type(water balance, minerality), topography(altitude, slope, proximity to water, exposure), vintage(weather conditions in the vegetation cycle) and the vinification (signature...

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Origin

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