VINSIGHTS

A staff training infographic worth 1,000 words by MARNIE OLD

Appellations are regulated wine label terms that designate regions of grape origin , and indirectly signal the value of a vineyard ’ s real estate . Just as oranges from specific places such as Florida or Valencia command premium prices , so too do wines from specific places like Bordeaux or Napa Valley . Many confusing aspects of wine start to make more sense once you understand a few central truths about the importance of appellations , and the different ways they are regulated in different countries : 1 . The appellation is always the most important quality factor listed on any wine ’ s label . 2 . Appellations can nest within each other like Russian dolls . 3 . The smallest appellations in physical area are the most prestigious and typically make the best wine . 4 . European countries include multifaceted wine quality regulations into their wine appellations that impose the strictest standards upon the smallest , most prestigious wine zones . 5 . Outside Europe , appellations refer only to a wine ’ s region of grape origin and nothing else . •

Marnie Old is one of the country ’ s leading wine educators . Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattan ’ s French Culinary Institute , she is best known for her visually engaging books published by DK such as Wine : A Tasting Course and her popular Wine Simplified series of wine tutorials on YouTube . Marnie currently serves as director of vinlightenment .

THE WHYS BEHIND THE WINE LABELS : BLAME IT ON BURGUNDY The oldest fine wine regions typically have the most complicated appellation hierarchies , like those of Burgundy , whose tiers are illustrated above with examples below . Burgundy ’ s largest appellation , Bourgogne , encompasses more than 100 others , from regions , to districts , to villages and beyond . The smallest are a few dozen grand crus — or single-vineyard appellations — that denote the very best wines .

Burgundy ’ s system evolved over centuries , but was not codified into law until the 1930s , when France based its wine labeling laws on the same principles used in Burgundy ’ s nomenclature . These included quality “ guarantees ”; the smallest appellations had the strictest rules , such as limits on crop yields per acre , and minimum alcohol thresholds to ensure full ripeness .

When European countries later banded together and formed what is now the European Union , they adopted the French appellation system , complete with its regulations governing grape growing and winemaking that were intended to protect each appellation ’ s reputation for quality . However , when wine labeling was formalized in countries outside of Europe , the constraints on viticulture and vinification were not adopted , so New World appellations only indicate where grapes were grown , not to what quality standard they were made . www . beveragedynamics . com November 2023 • Beverage Dynamics 7