A designation is an official category or label term that classifies a wine by origin, quality or style under a region's wine law. Examples include France's AOC, Italy's DOC and DOCG, and the broad EU 'PDO' and 'PGI' tiers. Designations set rules on grapes, yields, area and methods, and they guarantee provenance. They range from strict, prestigious appellations to looser regional or table-wine categories.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
A designation tells you where a wine comes from and what rules it met, but not how good it is — a humble designation can over-deliver and a grand one disappoint. Use it to verify origin, then judge the producer.
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