Protecting Appellations of Origin: One Hundred Years of Efforts and Debates
Abstract
The phylloxera crisis, which started in the 1870s, coincided with a wine shortage period as well as winemaking innovations and wine diversification. This increased variability of wine products was perceived as harmful because it impeded the acknowledgement of wine quality. The French authorities struggled to contain the variability of wine products and their many subcategories. Numerous legislative initiatives took place: the idea of origin was first interpreted as a traceability link to the vineyard and later, with the 1935 law on Controlled Denominations of Origin (fr. AOC) was perceived as heritage, mirroring superior taste-quality, which required constraining the vintners’ wine-growing and wine-making practices. Different interpretations of the notion of heritage led to a new heterogeneity in the quality of wines originating from the AOCs, and disputes about terroir quality persist in modern times. This chapter explores the notion of terroir beyond its interpretation as a simple resource and notes that these perceived incompatible interpretations should coexist and be reconciled.