Still wines, sparkling wines and sweet wines

Still wines: wine containing little or no carbon dioxide.

Sparkling wines: fizzy wine with a regular carbon dioxide output bubbling to the surface. Fizzy wines are called sparkling wines, for example: Blanquette or Crémant de Limoux.

Sweet wines: Vin doux natural is an appellation reserved for wines obtained by mutage. Fermentation is stopped by the addition of alcohol and this gives the wine body. Muscats are good example.

An overview of French wine production

European regulation divides wines into two main groups :
•
Table wines(VDT),
•Quality wine produced in specific regions.

In France, these classes of wine are subdivided into two categories
• Table wines,
• Specific table wines (VDT)
• Country wines (vin de pays)
• Quality wine produced in specific regions,
• Controlled appellation wines - superior quality wines (AO-VDQS)
• Controlled appellation wines (AOC)

Table wines (vins de table)

These may be classed as “Vin de table français” (French table wine) if they originate only from France (wine from the same region or wine from different regions). If a wine is assembled using wines from different European Union countries then it is called "assembly of wines from different European countries".

Blending using wines from outside of the European Union is prohibited.  This is because these wines are not subject to specific quality criteria or a particular approval; however, these wines must fulfil minimum production conditions determined by European regulations.  This kind of wine is usually sold as a brand.

Country wines (vin de pays)

These are table wines customised by a geographic province (territorial concept).  A country wine must only come from the region whose name it has given.  This wine fulfils strict production conditions specified by decree, such as maximum volume of production, minimum alcohol content, planting and strict analytic standards.
In France there are about 150 wines divided into three categories:

Country wine from departments
Country wine from zones
Country wine from regions

These wines are subject to a specific approval procedure combining analytic and organoleptic testing.

They are officially approved by the VINIFLHOR (Office National Interprofessionnel des
Vins – The national joint wine trade office).

Controlled appellation wines - superior quality wines
(AO-VDQS)

The production of this type of wine is strictly regulated and monitored by the INAO (The national institute of controlled origin).  These regulations allow for the award of a label by the relevant wine production syndicate.
This type of wine must fulfil a certain number of production conditions specified by decree: specific area of production, planting, minimum alcohol content, maximum production, culture techniques, analytic standards and organoleptic monitoring.

The AO-VDQS is a category between the country wines and the AOCs.

The AOCs (Controlled appellation wines)

The AOCs are characterised by a territorial definition.  These wines must fulfil specific production conditions defined by the INAO and made official by production decrees.  Based on respect for “local, loyal and constant use” the AOCs come from the most prestigious lands.  The production regulations, more strict than the VDQS, are based on the following criteria: limited production zone, limited production, planting, minimal alcohol content, culture techniques, analysis criteria and sometimes ageing criteria.  All of the wines, candidates for the controlled appellation wine approval are submitted to an analytic and organoleptic analysis.  They are officially approved by the INAO. In France, there are more than 400 appellation wines.

Source : VINIFLHOR, (http://www.onivins.fr).