(France) Often abbreviated to AC or AOC, this is the highest legal classification for French wine, above Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure, Vin de Pays and Vin de Table. In order to qualify for the AC, wines must be produced from grapes grown within a geographically defined area, and conform to regulations concerning grape varieties, yields, alcohol content and so on. Although AC means these features are guaranteed, it is not unfortunately a guarantee of quality.

(ah-pel-ah-s'yawn daw-ree-jeen cawn-trohl-lay) Often abbreviated AOC. The designation for wines of better quality from France. It is a set of laws which help the consumer to determine the origin and quality of a wine. These laws dictate the grape variety, the minimum alcohol and other quality factors, for any given wine from a specific region. Higher quality wines may come from a place as specific as a single vineyard, while other wines of the region may use a more generic place name. The rules for wines from a single vineyard tend to be more stringent than those for a general area.

(AOC or AC) The French system of appellations is considered in the wine world to be a prototype. In order to get a certification under an appellation in this system, a wine must follow strict rules regulating the region in which the grapes are grown, varieties used, ripeness at harvest, alcoholic strength, vineyard yields, irrigation and various techniques used in grape growing and winemaking.