appellation
ap-uh-LAY-shun
/ˌæp.əˈleɪ.ʃən/
A legally protected geographical name used to identify where wine grapes were grown and how the wine was produced.
Denotes legal regulations and geographical authenticity, not merely a casual geographic location.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'appellare' (to address or call by name). In France, the 'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée' (AOC) system was established in the 1930s to prevent fraud and protect regional producers.
Word relationships
- designation: 'Designation' is general; 'appellation' specifically refers to legally certified agricultural origins.
Commonly confused with
- appellation vs appellative: Appellation is a geographic name/designation; appellative is a grammatical term for a common noun.
Collocations
- protected appellation
- appellation laws
- designation of appellation
- regional appellation
Example sentences
- "Bordeaux is one of Europe's most strictly regulated wine appellations, governing grape varieties and yields." Wine Regulations
Memory hook
Appellation = APPLYing an official regional NAME. The official legal name of origin.
When not to use
Do not use for informal region names without legal wine classification boundaries.
Fun facts
- Champagne is an appellation; sparkling wines made outside that specific French region cannot legally call themselves Champagne in Europe.
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