Term
Appellation
ah-pel-lah-SYOHN
A place with rules
A legally defined origin — AOC/AOP in France, DOCG in Italy, AVA in the US, DO in Spain — that dictates geography and often grapes, yields, and aging.
Appellations protect names (Champagne, Barolo) and encode tradition. They do not guarantee quality. A thoughtful IGP or AVA wine can beat a lazy Grand Cru. The hierarchy inside Burgundy and Alsace is a map of reputation, not a tasting.
AVAs in the US are geographic only — no grape rules. That is why Napa Cabernet is a custom, not a law.
Read the appellation as a clue to style, then ignore it if the wine in the glass disagrees.
