Appellations of Origin

Definition

Under U.S. regulations (specifically 27 CFR 4.25), an appellation of origin is:

• A country

• A U.S. state or the foreign equivalent

• For U.S. wine, a listing of up to 3 states (multi-state appellation)

• A U.S. county or the foreign equivalent

• For U.S. wine, a listing of up to 3 counties (multi-county appellation)

• A U.S. or foreign government recognized delimited grape-growing area (referred to as a “viticultural area” under U.S. regulations)

Application

• Appellations of origin are only defined for use on wine

• All appellations of origin apply to grape wine

• U.S. or foreign viticultural area appellations of origin apply only to grape wine

• Country, state (or foreign equivalent), multi-state (U.S. wine only), county (or foreign equivalent) or multi-county (U.S. wine only) appellations of origin apply to non-grape wine only if permissible under the laws and regulations of the labeled appellation of origin

Requirements for Use

Whether mandatory or optional, an appellation of origin may be used on a wine label only if:

• For U.S. Wine:

• With an “American” (country), state or county appellation of origin:

1. Not less than 75% of the volume of the wine is derived from grapes (or other agricultural commodity) grown in the labeled appellation of origin
2. The wine is fully finished (except for cellar treatment and/or blending which does not alter the class and type of the wine) in the labeled appellation of origin EXCEPT THAT in the case of a state appellation of origin, the wine is fully finished (except for cellar treatment and/or blending which does not alter the class and type of the wine) in the labeled state or an adjacent state
3. The wine conforms to the laws and regulations of the labeled appellation of origin governing the composition, method of production and designation of wine produced in the labeled appellation area

• With a multi-state appellation of origin comprised of not more than 3 states:

1. The states are contiguous NOTE: Contiguous means that 1) both or all 3 states touch at a common border or 2) in the case of 3 states, all 3 states are in an unbroken line.
2. 100% of the wine is derived from grapes (or other agricultural commodity) grown in the labeled states
3. The wine is fully finished (except for cellar treatment and/or blending which does not alter the class and type of the wine) in one of the labeled states
4. The percentage of wine derived from grapes (or other agricultural commodity) grown in each of the labeled states is shown on the label
5. The wine conforms to the laws and regulations of the labeled appellation of origin governing the composition, method of production and designation of wine produced in the labeled appellation area

• With a multi-county appellation of origin comprised of not more than 3 counties:

1. All of the counties are in the same state
2. 100% of the wine is derived from grapes (or other agricultural commodity) grown in the labeled counties
3. The wine is fully finished (except for cellar treatment and/or blending which does not alter the class and type of the wine) in the state where the counties are located
4. The percentage of wine derived from grapes (or other agricultural commodity) grown in each county is shown on the label
5. The wine conforms to the laws and regulations of the labeled appellation of origin governing the composition, method of production and designation of wine produced in the labeled appellation area

• With a viticultural area appellation of origin:

1. The labeled area is an American viticultural area approved under U.S. regulations (specifically 27 CFR Part 9)
2. Not less than 85% of the volume of the wine is derived from grapes grown in the labeled viticultural area
3. The wine is fully finished (except for cellar treatment and/or blending which does not alter the class and type of the wine) in the state or one of the states where the viticultural area is located
4. The wine conforms to the laws and regulations of the labeled appellation of origin governing the composition, method of production and designation of wine produced in the labeled appellation area

• For Imported Wine:

• With a country, foreign equivalent of a state or foreign equivalent of a county appellation of origin:

1. Not less than 75% of the volume of the wine is derived from grapes (or other agricultural commodity) grown in the labeled appellation of origin
2. The wine conforms to the requirements of the foreign laws and regulations governing the composition, method of production and designation of wine available within the country of origin

• With a Viticultural Area Appellation of Origin:

1. The labeled area is recognized by the government of the country of origin as a delimited grape-growing/viticultural area
2. Not less than 85% of the volume of the wine is derived from grapes grown in the labeled viticultural area
3. The wine conforms to the requirements of the foreign laws and regulations governing the composition, method of production and designation of wine available within the country of origin

When an Appellation of Origin is Required

• Generally, appellations of origin are only required for grape wine

• An appellation of origin is required on grape wine when the wine is labeled with:

• A grape varietal designation
• One of the following designations AND the wine is NOT from the origin indicated

Angelica (U.S.)
Burgundy (France)
Claret (France)
Chablis (France)
Champagne (France)
Chianti (Italy)
Haut Sauterne (France)
Hock (Germany)
Malaga (Spain)
Marsala (Italy)
Madeira (Portugal)
Moselle (Germany)
Port (Portugal)
Rhine Wine (Germany)
Sauterne (France)
Sherry (Spain)
Tokay (Hungary)

• A vintage date
• The phrase “estate bottled”

Type of Appellation of Origin Required

Generally, with two exceptions, any one of the types of appellations (i.e., a country, state, etc.) may be used when an appellation is required. The two exceptions are:

• Wine labeled with a vintage date:

The appellation of origin must be a state (or foreign equivalent), multi-state (U.S. wine only), county (or foreign equivalent), multi-county (U.S. wine only) or viticultural area

• Wine labeled as “estate bottled”:

The appellation of origin must be a viticultural area

Type Size Requirements

When an appellation of origin is required, the type size requirements are:

• For containers of 187 ml or less:

The appellation of origin must be at least 1 mm in size and substantially as conspicuous as the product designation

• For containers of over 187 ml:

The appellation of origin must be at least 2 mm in size and substantially as conspicuous as the product designation

Placement Requirements

When an appellation of origin is required, it must appear on the same label and in the same view as the product designation