France's appellation system (known as Appellation of Controlled Origin or AOC) has become the international model for laws that define and protect geographically named wines, spirits and even certain foods. For any given wine, the AOC laws stipulate, among other things, the precise area where the grapes that make the wine are grown, the acceptable grape varieties, the permissible yield per hectare, aspects of viticulture — such as pruning and irrigation, the alcohol content, methods how the wine can be made and storage times. For a given French wine to carry an appellation, it must meet all of the criteria set down in AOC laws.

Started in the 1930s, the appellation system and its laws have evolved progressively. Today, most European wine-producing countries have similar systems that define and govern the wines produced.