Vin d'Appellation d'Origine Controlée (AOC)
At the top of the appellation system are full AOC wines. The label is intended as a guarantee of origin and of quality.
The wines of each AOC are supposed to have a distinct and consistent character and only an area which can produce distinctive wines should qualify for AOC status.
VDQS
This stands for Vin Delimité de Qualité Supérieure, 'wine determined as of a superior quality'. Superior, that is, to vin de table and vin de pays.
There are very few VDQS wines. It is seen as a stepping stone for a zonal vin de pays which is seeking to become a full AOC.
Vin de pays
This means 'country wine'. It is the largest subdivision of French wine that gives any indication of where it comes from.
Regional vin de pays
This is wine from one of four large regions.
- Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France (the Loire valley)
- Vin de Pays des Comtés Rhodaniens (the Rhone, Beaujolais, Jura, Savoie)
- Vin de pays du Comté Tolosan (the South West, excluding Bordeaux)
- Vin de Pays d'Oc (the Languedoc)
Vin de table
This simply means 'table wine'. Any wine made anywhere in France has the right to call itself vin de table.