France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir", with classifications ranging from "Vin de Table" ("table wine") at the bottom, through "Vin de Pays" and "Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (AOVDQS), up to "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC) or similar, depending on the region. Portugal has developed a system resembling that of France and, in fact, pioneered this concept in 1756 with a royal charter creating the Demarcated Douro Region and regulating the production and trade of wine. Germany created a similar scheme in 2002, although it has not yet achieved the authority of the other countries' classification systems.
European classifications
Wine
Wine | European classifications
France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir", with classifications ranging from "Vin de Table" ("table wine") at the bottom, through "Vin de Pays" and "Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (AOVDQS), up to "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée", Portugal and Germany created a similar system while Spain, Greece and Italy are based on a dual system. France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir", Portugal has developed a system resembling that of France, and Spain, Greece and Italy have classifications based on a dual system of region of origin and product quality Spain, Greece and Italy have classifications based on a dual system of region of origin and product quality. France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir".
how late can i buy beer in oregon
user
2:30 a.m
assistant
how does people consume it?
user
In 2007, Oregon's 2.6 million adults on average drank 32 gallons of beer each, versus 4 gallons of wine and 2 gallons of spirits.
assistant
what are some other drinks that they consume?
user
Beer, wine, liquor, whiskey, vodka, tequila, Jack Daniel etc
assistant
what is the second one mentioned?
user
It  is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grape juice.
assistant
what is the historical account behind it?
user
The earliest known traces of wine are from ancient China ( BC), Georgia ( BC), Iran (Persia) ( BC), and Sicily ( BC).
assistant
what are some different types?
user
Red wine, White wine, Rose wine, Fruit wine, Mead (honey wine) etc
assistant
what is the first one like?
user
Its production process involves extraction of color and flavor components from the grape skin.
assistant
where is it produced?
user
They grow almost exclusively between 30 and 50 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.
assistant
how does europe classify this drink in general?
user
Spain, Greece and Italy have classifications based on a dual system of region of origin and product quality.
Wine | European classifications
The remaining 41% were produced as "quality wine"-wine that produced under one of the quality wine designation in a country's appellation systems such as Germany's QmP & QbA classifications, France's "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC), Spain's "Denominación de Origen" (DO) and Italy's "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) systems. In 1997, the European Union had over 3.4 million hectare (8.4 million acres) planted under vine which accounted for nearly 44% of the world's wine, table and raisin grape production.
European Union wine growing zones | Introduction
The wines produced within EU are divided into two quality categories, Table wines (TW) and Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (QWpsr), where QWpsr is the higher category. Rules for winemaking practices and labelling are different for TW and QWpsr. The similar categories also exist for sparkling wine. The TW and QWpsr categories are translated into different national wine classification for each member state. Thus, some member states may have more than two levels of classification, but all national levels correspond to either TW or QWpsr and are subject to the common minimum standards set out in the EU wine regulations.
European Union wine regulations | Classification and labelling
Within the European Union, the term "wine" in English and in translation is reserved exclusively for the fermented juice of grapes. Within the United States, wine may include the fermented juice of any fruit or agricultural product, provided that it is between 7% and 24% alcohol by volume and intended for non-industrial use. With the exceptions of cider, perry, and sake, such non-grape wines are to label themselves by the word "wine" qualified by a truthful description of the originating product: "honey wine", "dandelion wine", (blended) "fruit wine", etc. Other jurisdictions have similar rules dictating the range of products qualifying as "wine".
Classification of wine | "Wine"
European Union guidelines stipulate that all wine produced must fall into one of two categories: "table wine" or the superior "Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions" (often referred to as "Quality wine p.s.r."). Within the category of table wines, a difference is made between "plain" table wines, which are only allowed to display the country of origin, and "table wines with geographical indication", which may indicate a region of origin and are a form of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) applied to wine. For the lowest "vin de table" level in France, the producers must use postal codes to prevent the name of an appellation from appearing even in fine print on the label or its vintage date (though "lot numbers" which can bear a striking resemblance to dates are permitted).
Table wine | European Union
Regulations govern the classification and sale of wine in many regions of the world. European wines tend to be classified by region (e.g. Bordeaux, Rioja and Chianti), while non-European wines are most often classified by grape (e.g. Pinot noir and Merlot). Market recognition of particular regions has recently been leading to their increased prominence on non-European wine labels. Examples of recognized non-European locales include Napa Valley, Santa Clara Valley, Sonoma Valley, Anderson Valley, and Mendocino County in California; Willamette Valley and Rogue Valley in Oregon; Columbia Valley in Washington; Barossa Valley in South Australia; Hunter Valley in New South Wales; Luján de Cuyo in Argentina; Central Valley in Chile; Vale dos Vinhedos in Brazil; Hawke's Bay and Marlborough in New Zealand; and in Canada, the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, and the Niagara Peninsula and Essex County regions of Ontario are the three largest producers.
Wine | Classification
As an example, France uses four levels of classification. "Vin de table" and "Vin de pays" are both EU Table wines, while "Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (VDQS) and "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) wines are QWpsr.
European Union wine regulations | Classification and labelling
France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir", with classifications ranging from "Vin de Table" ("table wine") at the bottom, through "Vin de Pays" and "Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (AOVDQS), up to "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC) or similar, depending on the region. Portugal has developed a system resembling that of France and, in fact, pioneered this concept in 1756 with a royal charter creating the Demarcated Douro Region and regulating the production and trade of wine. Germany created a similar scheme in 2002, although it has not yet achieved the authority of the other countries' classification systems.
Wine | European classifications
The fraction of national production classified as table wine varies dramatically from country to country. As of 2000, in France, a majority (by volume) of wine is "vin de table", while in Germany only 5% is "deutscher Tafelwein". Table wine from anywhere in the EU can be blended together to produce European Table Wine. European table wines are generally made from the highest-yielding sites and vinified in an industrial manner. In the 1950s, when per capita consumption of wine was much higher, there was a need for vast quantities of cheap wine, but now much of it goes into the European Union's troublesome "wine lake." Even today it is possible in France or Spain to purchase a litre of thin, pale wine, packaged in a box rather than a bottle, for the equivalent of a couple of U.S.
Table wine | Distribution
New World wines—those made outside the traditional wine regions of Europe—are usually classified by grape rather than by "terroir" or region of origin, although there have been unofficial attempts to classify them by quality. According to Canadian Food and Drug Regulations, wine in Canada is an alcoholic drink that is produced by the complete or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, grape must, products derived solely from fresh grapes, or any combination of them. There are many materials added during the course of the manufacture, such as yeast, concentrated grape juice, dextrose, fructose, glucose or glucose solids, invert sugar, sugar, or aqueous solutions.
Wine | Beyond Europe
Wines which do not meet this requirement may only be marketed as table wine. There has been little harmonisation of national provisions within the European Union. Member States delimit the specified areas of production and determine the rules and appellations which apply: the European Commission restricts itself to publishing the information provided by the Member States. Appellations are usually the geographical name of the area in which the wine is produced, although there are some historical exceptions: muscadet and blanquette in France, cava and manzanilla in Spain and vinho verde in Portugal. The appellations are not necessarily unique: "Cava" may refer either to a quality sparkling wine psr produced in Spain or to a Greek table wine which has been aged (as a transliteration of "Κάβα").
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Wines
European Union wine growing zones are used in the common European Union wine regulations to regulate certain aspects of winemaking. The zones differ in terms of climate and examples of what is regulated by wine growing zone are required grape maturity at harvest and allowed levels of chaptalisation. There are 21 wine producing countries in the European Union, with 14 of them having significant levels of production. In the 2004-2005 vintage, total European Union wine production was around 184 million hectoliters (4.8 billion gallons) which accounted for nearly 70% of total worldwide production. Of that total, nearly 55% was classified as table wine with 4% used in the production of grape-based distilled spirits such as Armagnac and Cognac.
European Union wine growing zones | Introduction
Countries in Europe in which wine is historically the most popular alcoholic drink are located to the south of countries preferring beer or vodka. The wine belt has been variously defined as approximately between 41°N - 44°N, 30°N - 50°N, and 35°N - 50/51°N. Countries in the wine belt include Spain, Portugal, Italy, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, San Marino, Switzerland, Romania, France, and Southern Federal District of Russia. The countries of Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia may sometimes be considered as part of the wine belt, but they overlap largely and are in line more with the Beer Belt instead.
Alcohol preferences in Europe | Countries preferring wine
Brandy, fruit spirit or alcohol derived from the alcoholic fermentation of a food source distilled to not less than 94 per cent alcohol by volume. Prior to final filtration may be treated with a strongly acid cation exchange resin in the sodium ion form, or a weakly basic anion exchange resin in the hydroxyl ion form.
Wine | Beyond Europe
Perhaps most importantly, the regulations define wine as "the product obtained exclusively from the total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether or not crushed, or of grape must". Furthermore, wine can only be made from grape varieties listed as allowed, and only those vine varieties may be planted for commercial purposes. Each EU member state draws up such lists of varieties, which may only contain purebred "Vitis vinifera" varieties, and certain crosses between "V. vinifera" and other species of the "Vitis" genus. Thus, uncrossed so-called American vines, such as "Vitis labrusca", may not be used for wine and are not allowed in EU vineyards.
European Union wine regulations | Winemaking practices
The Regulation laying down general rules on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and protection of spirit drinks (110/2008) provides for a double system of protection of spirit descriptions. Spirits are divided into 46 categories, which each have rules for fabrication and minimum strength. Within these categories, certain names are reserved for drinks from particular countries, for example ouzo, which is aniseed-flavoured spirit drink which must have been produced exclusively in Greece or Cyprus, or grappa, which is a grape marc spirit produced in Italy, or pálinka, which is a purely fruit based spirit produced in Hungary (or parts of Austria for apricot spirits only).
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Spirits
Additionally, Southwest England (if one classes cider as a wine analogue), parts of the Low Countries, southwestern Germany and parts of Austria could be considered to lie either within the belt or within an overlap region. The UNESCO has declared some wine region in its World Heritage Sites:
Alcohol preferences in Europe | Countries preferring wine
European Union rules governing the production of wine ("the product obtained exclusively from the total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether or not crushed, or of grape must") are considerably longer than Community trade mark law: the main text, the Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine (No 1493/1999), runs to over 46,000 words. To be considered as a "quality wine", the wine must come from a specified region and be associated with a "geographical indication" or "appellation": indeed, the technical term used in the Regulation is quality wine psr, with the "psr" standing for ""produced in a specified region"".
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Wines
Within the European Union, a wine using a varietal label must contain at least 85% of that variety. 85% is a common minimum standard; national regulations may set the limit higher in certain cases, but not lower.
Varietal | Europe
Alentejo, Alsace, Aquitaine, Arad, Aragón, Bács-Kiskun, Baden-Württemberg, Baranya, Bavaria, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Burgundy, Burgenland, Castilla-La-Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Constanta, Extremadura, Euskadi, Franche-Comté, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Galicia, Hesse, Languedoc-Roussillon, La Rioja, Liguria, Lombardia, Macedonia, Madeira, Madrid, Midi-Pyrénées, Murcia, Navarra, Niederösterreich, Norte, Odessa oblast, Os Açores, Pays de Loire, Piedmont, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhineland-Palatinate, Rhône-Alpes, Sicily, Slovenia, Steiermark, The Czech Republic, Tolna, Trento, Valais, Valencia, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto.
Assembly of European Wine-producing Regions | Members
In the Middle Ages, wine was the common drink of all social classes in the south, where grapes were cultivated. In the north and east, where few if any grapes were grown, beer and ale were the usual beverages of both commoners and nobility. Wine was exported to the northern regions, but because of its relatively high expense was seldom consumed by the lower classes. Since wine was necessary, however, for the celebration of the Catholic Mass, assuring a supply was crucial. The Benedictine monks became one of the largest producers of wine in France and Germany, followed closely by the Cistercians.
History of wine | Medieval Europe
Historically, wines have been known by names reflecting their origin, and sometimes style: Bordeaux, Port, Rioja, Mosel and Chianti are all legally defined names reflecting the traditional wines produced in the named region. These naming conventions or "appellations" (as they are known in France) dictate not only where the grapes in a wine were grown but also which grapes went into the wine and how they were vinified. The appellation system is strongest in the European Union, but a related system, the American Viticultural Area, restricts the use of certain regional labels in America, such as Napa Valley, Santa Barbara and Willamette Valley.
Classification of wine | By appellation
The AVA designations do not restrict the type of grape used. In most of the world, wine labeled Champagne must be made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and fermented using a certain method, based on the international trademark agreements included in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. However, in the United States, a legal definition called semi-generic has enabled U.S. winemakers to use certain generic terms (Champagne, Hock, Sherry, etc.) if there appears next to the term the actual appellation of origin. More recently, wine regions in countries with less stringent location protection laws such as the United States and Australia have joined with well-known European wine producing regions to sign the Napa Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, commonly known as the Napa Declaration on Place.
Classification of wine | By appellation
The Central European vineyards reached 100,000 hectares which was three and a half times the area in the 1990s. From the 13th century traders distinguished "vinum hunicum" (wine of the Huns), which was drunk by the people, from "vinum francium" (Wine of the Franks) which was the wine for the wealthy aristocracy. There was recognition of varieties of Riesling and Sylvaner from the late Middle Ages.
White wine | Middle Ages
European Union wine regulations are common legislation related to wine existing within the European Union (EU), the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production. These regulations form a part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of EU, and regulate such things as the maximum vineyard surface allowed to individual EU member states, allowed winemaking practices and principles for wine classification and labelling. The wine regulations exist to regulate total production in order to combat overproduction of wine and to provide an underpinning to Protected designations of origin (PDOs), among other things. In a sense, the wine regulations therefore try to protect both the producer and the consumer.
European Union wine regulations | Introduction
In the European Union (EU), much of the wine law is common to all countries through the European Union wine regulations which is a part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP Wine Regime consists of a set of rules that govern the wine sector, with the aim of achieving a balanced and open market. The principal features are rules governing production, oenological practices and processes, classification of wines, a range of structural and support measures, detailed rules governing the description and labeling of wines, and imports from non-EU countries. In addition to regulations that apply to all EU members, each EU country has its own framework of laws which govern aspects of winemaking such as the percentage of a grape to be included in a wine labeled with that variety name.
Wine law | European Union
Quality wines legislation does not specify exactly which wines should be subject to its rules and member states are permitted to regulate their own production in order to preserve traditional practices. In fact the very concept of QWpsr differs between northern and southern Europe; countries like Germany are regulated by quality first and little importance is given to geographical location, while other growers are regulated by geographical considerations first, as is the case with the Spanish "Denominación de Origen" regulations. As a consequence, where German wines are automatically classified as QWpsr, French, Italian and Spanish wines only attain that status after being officially approved.
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions | Rules and regulations
The denominación de origen (; 'designation of origin') is part of a regulatory classification system used primarily for Spanish wines (similar to the French appellations) but also for other foodstuffs such as cheeses, condiments, honey, and meats, among others. In wines, it parallels the hierarchical systems of France (1935) and Italy (1963), although Rioja (1925) and Jerez (1933) preceded the full system. In foods, it performs a similar role, namely regulation of quality and geographical origin among Spain's finest producers. There are five other designated categories solely for wine and a further three specifically covering food and condiments, all recognised by the European Union (EU).
Denominación de origen | Introduction
French law divides wine into four categories, two falling under the European Union Table Wine category and two the "Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions" (QWPSR) designation. The categories and their shares of the total French production for the 2005 vintage, excluding wine destined for Cognac, Armagnac and other brandies, were Table wine:
French wine | Quality levels and appellation system
The geographic classification is different for Landwein, Deutscher Wein, Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein.
German wine classification | Geographic classification
Many winemaking practices depend on the classification of the wine – TW or QWpsr. Some practices also depend on where within EU the grapes are grown, since typical challenges to winemakers in colder or hotter climates are somewhat different. The defined European Union wine growing zones are used to regulate these practices, but some leeway is given for authorising deviations in vintages of exceptional climatic conditions.
European Union wine regulations | Winemaking practices
The Regulation laying down general rules on the definition, description and presentation of aromatised wines, aromatised wine-based drinks and aromatised wine-product cocktails (No 251/2014) institutes a system of protected denominations for aromatised drinks which is very similar to that for spirits. The association of general names with specific countries is weaker: a drink labelled simply "Sangria" must have been produced in Spain or Portugal, for example, but it is permissible to label a drink "Sangria produced in the United Kingdom: aromatised wine-based drink" if the drink meets the other requirements to be described as sangria. Similarly, the denomination "Clarea" on its own is reserved for drinks produced in Spain.
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Aromatised drinks
German wine classification is sometimes the source of confusion. However, to those familiar with the terms used, a German wine label reveals much information about the wine's origin, the minimum ripeness of the grapes used for the wine, as well as the dryness/sweetness of the wine. In general, the ripeness classifications of German wines reflect minimum sugar content in the grape (also known as "potential alcohol" = the amount of alcohol resulting from fermenting all sugar in the juice) at the point of harvest of the grape. They have nothing to do with the sweetness of the wine after fermentation, which is one of the most common mis-perceptions about German wines.
German wine | Classification
Many other countries have based their controlled place name systems on the French AOC classification. Italy's Denominazione di Origine Controllata and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita followed the model set by the French AOC, and the EU standard for Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (QWpsr) also corresponds closely. While Spain's denominación de origen is very similar, the classification of Rioja in 1925 and Sherry in 1933 preceded the French AOC system by a few years and show that Spain's DdO system developed parallel to France's AOC system to some extent. Similarly, Germany's Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete is a wine classification system based on geographic region, but it differs from the AOC in important ways.
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | Europe
To counter the shortcomings of the 1971 law, the VDP nowadays classifies the best vineyards by its own rules into 'VDP.Grosse Lage' (Grand cru) and 'VDP.Erste Lage' (Premier cru) based on 19th century Prussian tax maps. Most of these wine makers are based in the regions of Mosel, Pfalz, and Franken. The classification of wines has been reorganized since 1 August 2009 by the EU wine market organization. The traditional German wine classification remained mostly unchanged, as the European system follows the origin-related system like in Germany and most areas of France (AOC). The already existing protection of geographical indication was transmitted through this step as well to the wine classification.
German wine classification | Introduction
The "Denominazione di origine controllata" classification was created to be roughly equivalent to the French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC). It requires that a wine satisfy a defined quality standard, and be produced within the specified region. Unlike IGT, the DOC definitions will usually specify additional more stringent rules regarding permitted grape varieties, harvest yields, minimum ageing including use of barrels, minimum alcohol content, and other factors. Wines labelled DOC or DOCG must be sold in bottles holding no more than . Historically the DOC status has been used to classify other food products such as cheeses, olive oil and vinegar, but the "Denominazione di origine protetta" (DOP) is now used instead.
Denominazione di origine controllata | Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC)
South African wines from the Western Cape are labelled with the term "Methode Cap Classique". Some wine producers in countries outside the EU may disregard EU labeling laws and use "méthode champenoise" or even “Champagne” on labels for products not exported to the EU, but this usage is decreasing.
Traditional method | Introduction
For instance, in France wine professionals acribe to the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, which guarantees the origin of wine and other food products, such as cheese.
Wine law | European Union
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (often abbreviated to QWpsr or simply "quality wines") is a quality indicator used within European Union wine regulations. The QWpsr category identifies wines with protected geographical indications. The European Union regulates and defines the status of "quality wines" according to production method, management and geographical location. Its original, fundamental role is in differentiating quality wines from table wines, broadly in line with the system traditionally employed by the French government, amended to account for the preferences and methodology of Italian and German growers, among others in the EU.
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions | Introduction
Many regional wine classifications exist as part of tradition or appellation law. The most common of these is based on vineyard sites and include the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, though some regions classify their wines based on the style like the German wine classification system. Vineyard classification has a long history dating from some early examples in Jurançon in the 14th century, in 1644 when the council of Würzburg ranked the city's vineyards by quality, and the early five-level designation of vineyards based on quality in Tokaj-Hegyalja in 1700. Other well known classifications include: The follow regions are classified by vineyards, not estate.
Classification of wine | Regional wine classifications
In contradiction to the presumed order, exceptional table wines are uncommon in Europe, but do exist. Ambitious wine-making outcomes may be classified as mere "table wine" if they are made from non-traditional grapes or with unconventional wine making processes. Even wines made with every measure of care (such as low vine yields and hand harvesting) and grown on sites otherwise entitled to a prestigious appellation may be denied status. The best-known examples are the wines called Super Tuscans, which are made either with more than allowed quantities of international varieties (grapes not indigenous to Italy such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) or without the once mandated inclusion of small proportions of Canaiolo, Malvasia and Trebbiano per the relevant Tuscan appellation (i.e.
Table wine | Naming contradictions
Since the 2008 EU reforms, both the DOC and DOCG wine classifications and the broader DOP classification are equivalent to the EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. Despite this, most Italian wines still use the DOC or DOCG designations on the label. For wines produced in Bolzano, where German is an official language, DOC may alternatively be written as "Kontrollierte Ursprungsbezeichnung".
Denominazione di origine controllata | Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC)
European wine regions with a long history of viticulture are typically classified as "Old World". These include:
Old World wine | Regions
The classification of wine can be done according to various methods including place of origin or appellation, vinification methods and style, sweetness and vintage, or variety used. Practices vary in different countries and regions of origin, and many practices have varied over time. Some classifications enjoy official protection by being part of the wine law in their country of origin, while others have been created by, for example, grower's organizations without such protection.
Classification of wine | Introduction
A white wine made from a very dark grape may appear pink or 'blush'. A form of Rosé is called "Blanc de Noirs" where the juice of red grapes are allowed contact with the skins for a very short time (usually only a couple of hours).
Classification of wine | By vinification methods and style
The wine may not be entirely of that one grape and varietal labeling laws differ. In the United States a wine needs to be composed of at least 75% of a particular grape to be labeled as a varietal wine. In the European Union, a minimum of 85% is required if the name of a single variety is displayed, and if two or more varieties are mentioned, they combined must make up 100% and they must be listed in descending order. E.g., a mixture of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Viognier must be called Chardonnay-Viognier rather than Viognier-Chardonnay.
Classification of wine | By vintage or variety
Dessert wines range from slightly sweet (with less than 50 g/L of sugar) to incredibly sweet wines (with over 400 g/L of sugar). Late harvest wines such as Spätlese are made from grapes harvested well after they have reached maximum ripeness. Dried grape wines, such as Recioto and Vin Santo from Italy, are made from grapes that have been partially raisined after harvesting. Botrytized wines are made from grapes infected by the mold Botrytis cinerea or noble rot. These include Sauternes from Bordeaux, numerous wines from Loire such as Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume, Tokaji Aszú from Hungary, and Beerenauslese.
Classification of wine | Dessert and fortified wine
According to EU regulation 753/2002, the following terms may be used on the labels of table wines and quality wines (the following list also includes translations to non-EU languages not mentioned in the EU directive):
Sweetness of wine | European Union terms for wine
Germany is unusual among wine-producing countries in that its most prestigious classifications, the various grades of Prädikatswein, are based on the ripeness of the grapes, though their geographical origins are also legally defined. Thus Germany's geographical classification, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA), is akin to France's defunct Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure, which has been subsumed into the current Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system.
Appellation | Germany
The existing system was based on the German system during World War II, but was modified after 1985. It is based on the Klosterneuberger Mostwaage (KMW), which measures the sugar content of the grapes at harvest in a way similar to the Öchsle scale, where 1°KMW is ~5°Oe.
Austrian wine | National Classification
The following national levels of wine classification correspond to QWpsr. Many EU countries have more than one QWpsr level, and in such cases, there is typically a national hierarchy between them, although they all follow the same EU rules.
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions | List of national QWpsr designations
As of January 2020, the protected geographical designations are:
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Aromatised drinks
The "beer belt" in Western Europe includes Germany, the UK, and Ireland, whereas the "wine belt" includes the Mediterranean countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece. Several drinks are common and particular to Slavic countries. Vodka is a clear alcoholic beverage made most often by distilling the liquid from fermented cereal grains and potatoes. Countries where vodka is identified as a national beverage have been referred to as the "vodka belt". Kvass is a traditional fermented non-alcoholic beverage commonly made from rye bread and is drank in many Slavic countries, as well as the three the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
List of national drinks | Europe
Countries in Europe in which beer is historically the most popular alcoholic drink are located to the southwest of countries preferring vodka and to the northeast of the countries preferring wine. These countries' geography is closely tied to the historical growing range of its two main ingredients, barley and hops. Barley was first domesticated during the Neolithic in the ancient Near East. It has been brewed into beer-like beverages for thousands of years, and grown in most of Europe since ancient times. Hops are more narrowly distributed, preferring humid temperate climates, similar to potatoes. Originally, European "ale" (not yet called beer) was produced without hops, which were introduced to Europe from the east.
Alcohol preferences in Europe | Countries preferring beer
Southern Europeans drink wine and fortified wines (10–20% alcohol by volume). Traditionally, wine was watered and honeyed; drinking full strength wine was considered barbaric in Republican Rome. Nor does binge drinking necessarily equate with substantially higher national averages of per capita/per annum litres of pure alcohol consumption. There is also a physical aspect to national differences worldwide, which has not yet been thoroughly studied, whereby some ethnic groups have a greater capacity for alcohol metabolization through the liver enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase.
Drinking culture | Geographic disparity
In certain regions, additional rules are applied to how a wine is classified. These special names represent special characters.
German wine classification | Special designations
Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to "New World wine" which refers primarily to wines from New World wine regions such as the United States, Australia, South America and South Africa. The term "Old World wine" does not refer to a homogeneous style with "Old World wine regions" like Austria, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain each making vastly different styles of wine even within their own borders.
Old World wine | Introduction
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: The system was introduced in 1963 shortly after the Treaty of Rome established Italy as a founding member of the European Economic Community, and was modelled on the extant French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) laws. It was overhauled in 1992 to match new European Union law on Protected Designation of Origin, introducing the more general "Denominazione di Origine Protetta" (DOP) designation for foods and agricultural products, including wines. Further EU reforms to harmonise agricultural policy in 2008 meant that designations used in member states, and thus Italian designations, were registered with the EU by the end of 2011, with subsequent new denominations or elevations approved by the EU.
Denominazione di origine controllata | Introduction
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification. In the United States, "table wine" primarily designates a wine style: ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling nor expensive. In the European Union wine regulations, "table wine" (TW) is the lower of two overall quality categories, the higher of which is "Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions" (QWPSR). All levels of national wine classification systems within the EU correspond to either TW or the QWPSR, although the terms that actually appear on wine labels are defined by national wine laws with the EU regulations as a framework.
Table wine | Introduction
The climate is temperate with few summer days above 30 °C. The diurnal temperature range is high. These wines are made from the classic sparkling wine grape varieties. In England these varieties reach full phenolic ripeness at moderate sugar levels and with high acid levels. Wines from this PDO are made entirely from must containing only natural acid. These wines exhibit stronger aromatic flavours of the underlying grape varieties than wines from the same varieties grown at warmer latitudes.
Wine from the United Kingdom | Rules of wine labelling
There are a number of classifications of Bordeaux wines, covering different regions. None of these attempts to be a comprehensive classification of all the producers within a given area: rather, only the producers (universally known as "châteaux", although not usually possessing the architectural grandeur that might imply) perceived as being of an unusually high standard are included in the classification. The châteaux included in the classification are referred to as "classed" or "classé", and those not included are referred to as "unclassed". Some classifications sub-divide the classed châteaux, according to the perceived quality. On the Left Bank, the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 is the starting point for classification.
Bordeaux wine regions | Classifications
In 1963, the first official Italian system of classification of wines was launched. Since then, several modifications and additions to the legislation have been made, including a major modification in 1992. The last modification, which occurred in 2010, established four basic categories which are consistent with the latest European Union wine regulations (2008–09). The categories, from the bottom to the top level, are: A number of sub-categories exist pertaining to the regulation of sparkling wine production (e.g. Vino Spumante, Vino Spumante di Qualità, Vino Spumante di Qualità di Tipo Aromatico, Vino Frizzante). Within the DOP category, 'Classico' is a wine produced in the original historic centre of the protected territory.
Italian wine | Italian appellation system
There are two classes for wines with official status in all 13 Anbaugebiete and one regional class in Rheinhessen and the Rheingau, respectively.
German wine classification | New classes for wines
To qualify for the Sauternes label, the wines must have a minimum 13% alcohol level and pass a tasting exam where the wines need to taste noticeably sweet. There is no regulation on the exact amount of residual sugar that the wine needs to have.
Sauternes (wine) | Wine regions
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete wines are commonly seen as less prestigious than Qualitätswein mit Prädikat, making it more similar to the Vin de Pays or Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure systems. Portugal's Denominação de Origem Controlada, Austria's Districtus Austria Controllatus, South Africa's Wine of Origin, and Switzerland's AOC-IGP are all similar to the French AOC system as well.
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | Europe
The German wine classification system puts a strong emphasis on standardization and factual completeness, and was first implemented by the German Wine Law of 1971. Nearly all of Germany's vineyards are delineated and registered as one of approximately 2,600 Einzellagen ('individual sites'), and the produce from any vineyard can be used to make German wine at any quality level, as long as the must weight of the grapes reaches the designated minimum level. As the current German system does not classify vineyards by quality, the measure of wine ’quality’ is the ripeness of the grapes alone. Approximately 200 wine makers have been organised since 1910 in the Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter (VDP).
German wine classification | Introduction
The reason why these regulations exist on the EU level is because of the common market inside the EU, which has led to a need to harmonise regulations for various products which traditionally have been regulated on a national level. The EU wine regulations form a framework for the wine laws of the European Union member states. Since national wine laws have a much longer history than the EU wine regulations, the EU regulations have been designed to accommodate existing regulations of several member states. In particular, the existing regulations concerning French wine, with its detailed appellation laws, formed a basis, while also making room for the very different German wine classification system.
European Union wine regulations | EU regulations and national wine laws
031 - this was the 31st wine submitted by Kloster Eberbach for testing)". The final two digits is the year of the testing, which is normally the year following the vintage "(e.g. 04 - the wine was tested in 2004)".
German wine classification | Required Information
An aromatised wine must have a minimum alcohol content of 14.5% by volume and a maximum alcohol content of 22% by volume according to EU law Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91. The majority of older brands come from France and Italy but there are now a range of small 'craft' producers around the world. Other similar beverages described in this legislation are 'aromatised wine-based drinks' (non-fortified) and 'aromatised wine-product cocktail' (blended, lower alcohol drink under 7% ABV).
Aromatised wine | Description
There are two major categories of German wine: table and "quality" wine. Table wine includes the designations "Deutscher Wein" (previously Tafelwein) and "Landwein". Unlike the supposed equivalents of "Vin de Table" / "Vino da Tavola" and "Indicazione Geografica Tipica" / "Vin de Pays", production levels are not high, and these wines are typically exported to the United States. In 2005, Tafelwein and Landwein only accounted for 3.6% of total production. In Baden, there is a growing trend to release high-end wines as Landwein . Quality wine is divided into two types:
German wine classification | Quality designations
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grape juice. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol, carbon dioxide, and heat. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different styles of wine. These variations result from the complex interactions between the biochemical development of the grape, the reactions involved in fermentation, the grape's growing environment (terroir), and the production process. Many countries enact legal appellations intended to define styles and qualities of wine. These typically restrict the geographical origin and permitted varieties of grapes, as well as other aspects of wine production.
Wine | Introduction
List of geographical designations for spirit drinks in the European Union The geographical designations which may be applied to spirits are defined in Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks, which repealed the earlier Regulation (EEC) 1576/89. From June 2019, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 have been replaced by Regulation (EU) 2019/787, with the remainder of the 2019 Regulations coming into force in May 2021. Designations marked with an asterisk may be associated with qualifying phrases: see articles for more details.
List of geographical designations for spirit drinks in the European Union | Introduction
The white wines, then of much less importance than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac and were ranked only from superior first growth to second growth.
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 | Introduction
Czech wine law classifies wine according to the origin of the grapes and the ripeness of the grapes determined by measuring the must weight in the grape juice at the time of harvest. Sugar content is expressed in units of °NM on the Czecho-Slovak Normalised Must-Weight Scale (Czech: "Normalizovaný moštoměr"), which indicates how many kilograms of sugar are contained in one hundred litres of grape juice. One degree on the NM scale is equivalent to one kilogram of natural sugar in 100 litres of grape must. Czech wine is typically labeled with its variety, detailed description of its origin, and wine quality attributes.
Czech wine | Classification
In general, the EU wine regulations provide for minimum standards across EU, while making it possible for individual member states to enact stricter standards in certain areas in their national wine laws. An example comparing a French and two German wine types made from the same grape variety illustrate what the EU wine regulations stipulate, and how the individual countries have applied various stricter regulations than the minimum for these "quality wines". In a sense, the EU wine regulations as such are rather invisible to the wine consumers and the wine trade, since the details of quality classifications and labelling practices are generally part of the national wine laws, which provide the visible front-end.
European Union wine regulations | EU regulations and national wine laws
In the area of German wine, DLG has been responsible for devising the assessment scale used for official classification as well the medals and awards that are handed out regionally and nationally. This is a five-point scale where the wines are assessed blind (i.e., the tasters don't know the identity of the wine in the glass) by a panel and given points in the three categories bouquet ("nose"), taste and harmony. The category "harmony" refers to all sensory impressions, including color, and is concerned with the overall balance between sweetness, acidity, alcohol and "body"/mouthfeel of the wine. Each category is assessed on the scale 0-5 (fractional points may be awarded), and the points given are then averaged, with the same weight given to the three categories.
German Agricultural Society | Wine activities
For wines to qualify for DOC labelling the stated variety, they must make up at least 95% of the blend from grapes that are harvested within a maximum yield restriction—11 tonnes/hectare for the Cabernets, Verduzzos and Friulano varieties, 12 tonnes/ha for the Pinots, 13 tonnes/ha for Merlot and 14 tonnes/ha for Raboso. The finished wines also must meet a minimum alcohol level—11.5% for all varieties except Merlot and Friulano which only need to reach 11% alcohol by volume. A separate "riserva" bottling for the red wine varieties is permitted provided the wine is aged at least two years prior to release and attain a minimum alcohol level of at least 12.5%.
Piave (river) | Viticulture
The Czech Wine Classification System, set in the Viticulture Act of 2004, is based on the sugar content of the grapes at harvest. Sugar content is measured using the Normalizovaný moštomer (°NM) scale, a measure of how many kilograms of sugar are in 100 litres of must. 1 °NM indicates 1 kg of sugar in 100 l of must.
Mikulovská wine | Wine classification
Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) is the top category official category of wine in the UK. PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) is next and then varietal wine. PDO and PGI wines must have a full post bottling analysis and pass a tasting panel (or win an award at a recognised competition). These are established via the UK Vineyards Association (UKVA) and the UK Government's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). English sparkling wines are made from grapes grown close to the limit for viticulture. All vineyards are positioned at above 49.9 degrees north leading to long daylight hours in the growing season.
Wine from the United Kingdom | Rules of wine labelling
Although this purports to be a classification of all Bordeaux wine, it in fact exclusively lists red wine producers from the Haut-Médoc plus Château Haut-Brion of Graves, and (in a separate list) sweet white wine producers from Sauternes (including Barsac). Estates in the Médoc which were not classified in that listing may be classified under the Cru Bourgeois label. In 1953, a Classification of Graves wine was produced. Although this purports to classify the whole of Graves, it exclusively lists châteaux in Pessac-Léognan. In 1954, a separate classification of Saint-Émilion wine was set up for this Right Bank region.
Bordeaux wine regions | Classifications
The sugar content in the finished wine can be indicated by the following designations for Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein. For sparkling wines (Sekt), many of the same designations are used, but have a different meaning.
German wine classification | Sweetness of the wine
The most famous (and expensive) ice wines are German "Eiswein", but ice wine is also made in European countries such as Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland at least in smaller quantity. "Eiswein" is part of the "Prädikatswein" quality category in the German wine classification. The French language term "Vin de glace" is part of the wine classification in Luxembourg, but not in France, but is sometimes found on the rare bottles of ice wine produced in Alsace. In most of France, the climate is too warm for ice wine production.
Ice wine | Europe
Italian legislation additionally regulates the use of qualifying terms for wines. "Classico" (“classic”) is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced "traditionally". For Chianti Classico, this traditional region is defined by a 1932 decree. "Riserva" (“reserve”) may be used only for wines that have been aged at least two years longer than normal for a particular type of wine.
Denominazione di origine controllata | Other label rules
Sparkling wines such as champagne, contain carbon dioxide which is produced naturally from fermentation or force-injected later. To have this effect, the wine is fermented twice, once in an open container to allow the carbon dioxide to escape into the air, and a second time in a sealed container, where the gas is caught and remains in the wine. Sparkling wines that gain their carbonation from the traditional method of bottle fermentation are labelled "Bottle Fermented", ""Méthode Traditionelle"", or ""Méthode Champenoise"". The latter designation was outlawed for all wines other than Champagne (which for obvious reasons does not bother to utilize it) in Europe in 1994.
Classification of wine | Sparkling and still wines
This is a "declaration of joint principles stating the importance of location to wine and the need to protect place names". The Declaration was signed in July 2005 by four United States winegrowing regions and three European Union winegrowing regions.
Classification of wine | By appellation
Between 40 and 60 thousand barrels each of 500 litres left the Spanish coast annually for England and the Netherlands (this volume of some 300,000 hectolitres represented two thirds of today's production). From the 16th century the first European vines were planted in America: in Mexico, then Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. These were in addition to the native vines which grew in Mexico but this pre-Columbian production was not for the production of wine as the grapes were too acidic. It was used to produce "acachul" a drink sweetened with fruit and honey. The Little Ice Age spelt the death knell of northern viticulture.
White wine | Modern era
The Regulation also defines a number of "geographical designations", which are reserved for drinks which "acquired their character and definitive qualities" in the area denominated. The exact delimitation of the areas and any other regulations are left to the Member States concerned. By way of derogation, the designations Königsberger Bärenfang and Ostpreußischer Bärenfang are permitted for certain German drinks even though they refer to Königsberg (Kaliningrad) and East Prussia which are no longer part of Germany.
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Spirits
The aspects regulated by EU fall mainly into the categories winemaking practices, classification and labelling, wine-production potential, documentation of wine industry activities, imports from non-EU countries, and duties of enforcement agencies.
European Union wine regulations | Aspects regulated
At the time the EEC had only six members, four of which were major wine producers; France, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg. The French initiated Community recognition of their principles which differentiated between "quality wines" and "table wines" in order to standardise the marketing of exported wine. Germany and Luxembourg in particular objected to any barriers to the development of their wine industry, which was geared towards the production of wines with a readily available outlet, nor did they wish to change the practice of chaptalisation (the enrichment of wine by adding sugar) which was foreign to many parts of France and forbidden in Italy.
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions | History
The amount of sugar (dosage) added after the second fermentation and aging varies and will dictate the sweetness level of the sparkling wine. Wines produced within the European Union must include the sweetness level on the wine label. For wines produced outside the EU, the sweetness level is not required but if it is included on the label the terms used must conform to EU guidelines.
Sparkling wine | Sweetness
On wine labels, German wine may be classified according to the residual sugar of the wine. Trocken refers to dry wine. These wines have less than 9 grams/liter of residual sugar. Halbtrocken wines are off-dry and have 9–18 grams/liter of residual sugar. Due to the high acidity ("crispness") of many German wines, the taste profile of many halbtrocken wines fall within the "internationally dry" spectrum rather than being appreciably sweet. Feinherb wines are slightly more sweet than halbtrocken wines. Lieblich wines are noticeably sweet; except for the high category Prädikatsweine of type Beerenauslese and above, lieblich wines from Germany are usually of the low Tafelwein category.
German wine | Classification
This mode of production happened in Europe at the same time as new techniques of treatment of the must (accelerated settling, use of selected yeasts, addition of glues and yeast enzymes, the practice of maceration). In wine jargon, all of these practices give a "technological wine". This is very fragrant, crisp on the palate, and does not require ageing. The "old" type of European white wines were well suited to this type of wine – it was the Sauvignon B grape varietal that was first used in this manner which allowed it to be blended with Semillon B. There has also been a decrease in growing areas in the last thirty years.
White wine | Dry white wine
The new appellation Vin de France permits a vintage date.
Table wine | European Union
Fruit wines are usually referred to by their main ingredient (e.g., "plum wine" or "elderberry wine") because the usual definition of wine states that it is made from fermented grape juice. In the European Union, wine is legally defined as the fermented juice of grapes. In the United Kingdom, fruit wine is commonly called "country wine"; the term should not be conflated with the French term "vin de pays", which is grape wine. In British legislation, the term "made-wine" is used.
Fruit wine | Labeling
Wines made from produce besides grapes are usually named after the product from which they are produced (for example, rice wine, pomegranate wine, apple wine and elderberry wine) and are generically called fruit wine. The term "wine" can also refer to starch-fermented or fortified drinks having higher alcohol content, such as barley wine, huangjiu, or sake. Wine has a rich history dating back thousands of years, with the earliest production so far discovered having occurred BC in Georgia. It had reached the Balkans by BC and was consumed and celebrated in ancient Greece and Rome.
Drink | Wine
There are also a number of specialty and regional wines, considered as special version of some quality category. Here are some of them:
German wine classification | Special and regional wine types
Portuguese wine regions are grouped into three levels of classification. At the top are the "Denominação de Origem Controlada" (or DOCs) which are Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (QWpsr) under the European Union wine regulations and thus correspond roughly to the French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) and Spanish "Denominación de Origen" (DO) classifications. The second group consist of "Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada" (IPRs), and are also QWpsr. IPRs are used for DOC candidates "in training", and this level roughly corresponds to the French "Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure" (VDQS) system. The final group are the Vinho Regional (VRs), which are table wines with a geographical indication under EU regulations.
List of Portuguese wine regions | Introduction
Historically, the world's first vineyard classification system was introduced in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary, in 1730. Vineyards were classified into three categories depending on the soil, sun exposure, and potential to develop "Botrytis cinerea". The subdivisions were: first-class, second-class and third-class wines. A decree by the Habsburg crown in 1757 established a closed production district in Tokaj. The classification system was completed by the national censuses of 1765 and 1772.
Appellation | Hungary
The dry white wine is a wine without sugar (the sugar ratio is generally less than 4 grams per litre). It is a wine very difficult to develop because the balance of the wine is based on only two parameters: acidity and alcohol. Before the 1950s, the traditional European wine was made in small containers where the temperature did not rise high enough to interfere with the fermentation but this method of vinification gave wine structure and roundness but was not aromatic. In California and Australia the need to cool the grapes and wine during fermentation led winemakers to equip their cellars with adequate equipment: refrigeration units, circuits of pipes to carry the liquid refrigerant, and vats temperature-regulated by coils in the walls of the vessel or flag (a thin welded coil shaped like a flat plate with a high heat exchange capability).
White wine | Dry white wine
In recent years, the official classification has been criticised by many of the top producers, and additional classifications have been set down by wine growers' organisations such as VDP, without enjoying legal protection. The two main reasons for criticism are that the official classification does not differentiate between better and lesser vineyards and that the quality levels are less appropriate to high-quality dry wines.
German wine classification | Criticism