Concept card Guide
AOC, PDO, PGI: what each label actually requires
In one sentence
Three origin labels: PDO and PGI are two definitions in EU law; AOC is the French name for the appellation, which wine may keep using.
The appellation, date by date
1905: in France
French law recognises the appellation of origin.
1958: internationally
Under the Lisbon Agreement.
1992: the European PDO
For agri-food products.
2008: wine joins in
Wine products join the European PDO.
2021: the grape clause
PDO also admits varieties bred from crossings of Vitis vinifera with other Vitis species.
Key points
- PDO: quality or characteristics due essentially or exclusively to the geographical environment.
- PGI: a quality, a reputation or other characteristics attributable to the origin are enough.
- PDO: all the grapes come from the area; PGI: at least 85%. The wine is made there too, barring a set exception.
- Since 2021, both PDO and PGI admit crossings of Vitis vinifera with other Vitis species.
- In France, only wine products may keep the AOC term instead of PDO: not an extra tier.
What it changes in the glass
- A label states an origin and production rules, not a quality score.
- PDO or PGI, a specification sets the area, the maximum yields and the varieties.
- In a PGI, up to 15% of the grapes may come from elsewhere, but from the same country.
Not to be confused with…
AOC and PDO
Not two tiers but two moments of one procedure: in France, recognition as an AOC comes before the European PDO.
PGI as a lesser PDO
Not just a less demanding PDO: its link to origin is of another kind, one where a reputation can be enough.
A wine is made from 90% grapes from its own area and 10% from a neighbouring region of the same country. On that point alone, which label is still possible?
One question to test yourself: it does not count towards your progress.
Two definitions, side by side
The governing text is article 93 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. It defines the designation of origin and the geographical indication with the same structure, point by point, which makes the gaps between them easy to read.
100%
of the grapes come from the area for a PDO
85%
at least for a PGI; the rest comes from the same country
- The link: for a PDO, quality or characteristics due to the environment, its natural and human factors; for a PGI, a reputation can be enough.
- Production, from harvest to the end of winemaking, takes place within the area in principle; the specification may allow an area in immediate proximity.
The grape clause, rewritten in 2021
Until 2021, a PDO had to come exclusively from Vitis vinifera, while a PGI already admitted crossings with other species of the genus Vitis. Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 opened PDO to the same crossings.
- The reason, in the text itself: varieties better suited to a changing climate and more resistant to disease.
- On this point, the two definitions now say the same thing.
- In France, some appellations admit some of these varieties, such as Voltis, as varieties of interest for adaptation, under an agreement.
"Contrôlée" or "protégée"
In France, recognition as an AOC is the step before the European PDO. According to INAO, only wine products keep the right to use the AOC term if they wish: other sectors have moved to PDO.
- Gaillac's specification says "appellation d'origine protégée"; Champagne's says "appellation d'origine contrôlée".
- Why a given appellation chose one word or the other, the sources consulted do not say.
What a specification sets out
PDO or PGI, each name has its own specification, which lets interested parties check that the wine meets its production conditions.
- A description of the wine and, where relevant, its own winemaking practices.
- The delimited area, the maximum yields per hectare and the grape varieties.
- The link to origin: the environment for a PDO, a quality or a reputation for a PGI.
Related reading
Sources (7)
- Official sourceRèglement (UE) 2021/2117 modifiant notamment le règlement (UE) n° 1308/2013— Union européenne — EUR-Lex (Office des publications)
- Official sourceRèglement (UE) n° 1308/2013 portant organisation commune des marchés des produits agricoles — version consolidée du 18.08.2026— Union européenne — EUR-Lex (Office des publications)
- Official sourceGuide du demandeur d'une appellation d'origine contrôlée / appellation d'origine protégée (AOC/AOP) ou d'une indication géographique protégée (IGP) — secteur viticole— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO)
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Champagne »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO)
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine protégée « Gaillac »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
- Official sourceRèglement délégué (UE) 2019/33 de la Commission (AOP, IGP, mentions traditionnelles, étiquetage et présentation des vins) — version consolidée du 18.01.2025— Union européenne — EUR-Lex (Office des publications)
- Official sourceFiches variétales : Artaban, Floreal, Vidoc, Voltis (variétés INRA-ResDur1)— INRAE, centre Grand-Est Colmar, UMR Santé de la vigne et qualité du vin