The first six protected designations of origin established in France celebrated their 90th anniversary at Wine Paris. The Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) were created in 1936. Since 2009, they have been referred to as Appellations d’Origine Protégée (AOP).

On August 1, 1905, a law outlined the delineation of production areas. The former Minister of Agriculture and Senator of the Gironde region, Alfred Capus, drove the development forward. On July 30, 1935, a decree established the National Committee of Origin Designations for Wines and Spirits, which led to the creation of the "Institut National des Appellations d'Origine" (INAO) in 1947. A decree from May 15, 1936, finally formed the "legal framework for the protection of agricultural products, the quality and characteristics of which depend on their origin terrain." Thus, the first six AOCs were created: Arbois, Cassis, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (shown in a historical photo above), Cognac, Monbazillac, and Tavel. In the same year, additional appellations followed, including Champagne, Pommard, Beaune, Saint-Émilion, Sancerre, and Sauternes.

The six pioneer appellations celebrated their founding 90 years ago according to the French trade magazine La Revue du Vin des France at Wine Paris with around 300 invited guests and rare wines. This included a vertical tasting of Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 1970 to the present, a vertical of Vin Jaune from Arbois, as well as old vintages from Tavel and Monbazillac.

(al; Image: Chateauneuf.com)

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