The directory

Wine appellation: the complete cellar directory

An appellation is a piece of land delimited on a map, with rules on what can be planted and harvested there. It doesn't say if the wine is good, it says where it comes from and what it should taste like.

More than 1,500 bottles are distributed among our 159 appellations and delimited zones, across 16 countries. The list below includes all of them, from Barolo to the Uco Valley. The table of acronyms first explains what each country means by the term.

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159 appellations, 16 countriesList compiled bottle by bottle from the catalogue, from Barolo to Stellenbosch, and not copied from a textbook.
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Finding your bearings

Acronyms, country by country

The word appellation does not mean the same thing depending on the border. In Europe, it frames how wine is made. Elsewhere, it most often merely delineates a terroir and leaves the winemaker free.

Naming systems by country: acronym, imposed constraint, and examples present in the cellar.
AcronymCountryWhat it requiresExamples in the cellar
PDO, PGI France Area, grape varieties, yields, and method. The most detailed framework in the world. Champagne, Meursault, Mercurey
DOCG Italy The strictest level, with approval tasting before bottling. Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino
Document Italy Same logic for area and grape varieties, less stringent control. Valpolicella, Soave, Etna
IGT Italy A deliberately broad scope. You'll find everyday wine as well as extraordinary bottles. Salento, Tuscany
DOCa, DO Spain Two tiers. Only Rioja and Priorat reach the top level. Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero
EU, GO Portugal Delimited area, plus the aging indications specific to Port and Madeira wines. Douro, Dão, Porto
Predicate Germany Hierarchy based on grape maturity at harvest, not on location. Moselle, Rheingau
D-A converter Austria Guarantees a recognizable regional style rather than mere provenance. Wachau, Kamptal
AVA United States Delineate an area and nothing else. No grape variety imposed, no yield capped. Napa Valley, Oakville, Willamette Valley
IG, GI Argentina, Chile, Australia Pure geographical division. The grape variety remains announced on the label. Mendoza, Colchagua, Barossa Valley
WHO South Africa Certifies the origin, vintage and grape variety announced, verified by a single body. Stellenbosch, Swartland

A wine without an appellation is not a declassified wine. Some winemakers deliberately go outside the rules to plant a forbidden grape variety or to vinify differently.

French vineyard

French appellations

Burgundy takes up almost all the space, and deliberately so: it is the vineyard where the division by climate is taken the furthest, down to the parcel. Two rows of vines are enough to change the name there.

Italian vineyard

Italian denominations

The country with the most, by far. A transalpine label almost always indicates a place, never a grape varietal: knowing what is planted where is the only way to guess the content.

The rest of the continent

Spain, Portugal, and Central Europe

Three different approaches coexist here. The Iberian Peninsula categorizes its areas, Germany classifies by grape maturity rather than by location, and Central Europe rebuilt its appellations after 1990.

New World

The naming of the Americas

A Californian AVA or an Argentinian GI defines a perimeter without imposing a recipe. This is why the grape variety is still written in large letters on the label: it carries the information that the appellation does not provide.

Southern Hemisphere

Southern Africa and Oceania

These are the newest areas of the appellation, often delineated less than forty years ago. They follow the climate rather than history: a cool valley, a hillside exposed to the ocean, an altitude.

Already in store

Six appellations that have their own selection

The others are grouped by research or by country. These six are sufficiently well-represented here to merit their own page.

Our bias

The name on the label does not make the wine

A prestigious appellation guarantees origin and specifications. It does not guarantee the work in the vineyard, the cleanliness of the cellar, or the talent of the blender. Every year we taste regional Burgundies that outperform Villages, and Tuscan IGTs that outperform neighboring DOCGs.

That's why our directory includes so many regions that no one mentions: Itata in Chile, Swartland in South Africa, Vayots Dzor in Armenia. There, the price still reflects the bottle, not the reputation of the name.

Four things to read

Classico designates the historical heart of an Italian area, delimited before expansions.

Riserva and Reserva require longer aging than the basic appellation, from one to three years depending on the country.

Cru and Grand cru do not have the same weight everywhere: in Burgundy, it is a classified plot, in Italy a simple, claimed locality.

Single vineyard indicates a single plot in the New World, without official classification behind it.

The Wine Wanderer Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What we're asked about appellations

What is a wine appellation?

It is a delimited geographical area, associated with a set of specifications. Depending on the country, these specify the authorized grape varieties, the maximum yield per hectare, the minimum aging period, and sometimes the winemaking method.

The name of the appellation then replaces that of the grape variety on the label: a Chablis is a Chardonnay, a red Sancerre is a Pinot Noir, without it being explicitly stated.

What is the difference between AOC and AOP?

None in substance. PDO is the European acronym, which came into force in 2009, and took over the scope of the existing French AOCs. The two designations still coexist on labels, as many estates have kept the old one.

Does an appellation guarantee wine quality?

No. It guarantees an origin and adherence to production rules. Within the same appellation, the difference between two neighboring estates can be enormous, and it is not evident on the label.

The producer's name remains the most reliable indicator, ahead of the appellation and the vintage.

Why do New World wines display the grape variety on their labels?

Because their delimited areas, American AVAs or South American GIs, do not impose grape varieties. Napa Valley can produce Cabernet as well as Chardonnay. The grape variety is therefore the only useful information for purchase, and it comes first.

How many appellations do you have in your cellar?

159 appellations and delimited areas, across 16 countries, for more than 1,500 listed bottles. Italy provides the largest share, followed by Spain and the United States.

What do Cru, Grand cru and Premier cru mean?

In Burgundy, parcels are classified once and for all: Grand Cru wines bear their name alone on the label, while Premier Cru wines are named after the village. In Champagne, the classification applies to the entire commune and not to individual parcels.

Elsewhere, the term is often a commercial designation with no real regulation behind it.

How to choose when you don't know any of the appellations?

Start with the desired taste rather than the name. A light and fresh red can be found in Burgundy, Itata, or Marlborough. Our color and profile filters do this sorting, and each product page indicates which dish pairs well with the bottle.

Will unrelated designations be open?

Yes. The catalog lists everything in the cellar, including areas that do not yet have their dedicated selection. These open progressively, starting with the best-stocked ones.

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