Term · Regulations
Regional appellation, village appellation
In Burgundy, the appellation that covers the region (regional) and the one that bears the name of a commune (communal, or “village”).
In Burgundy, the appellations form a hierarchy. Regional appellations cover the whole vineyard area or a large part of it, such as Bourgogne or Crémant de Bourgogne. Communal appellations, also called “villages”, bear the name of a commune and only concern the plots delimited within it, such as Meursault or Gevrey-Chambertin.
Above them come the premiers crus, a term reserved for certain climats of a communal appellation, then the grands crus, which are appellations in their own right.
Other regions have a similar organisation: Beaujolais distinguishes the Beaujolais appellation, Beaujolais-Villages and ten crus, such as Morgon or Fleurie.
See also
- Premier cruA term that an appellation's specification reserves for some of its climats.
- Grand cruThe highest level of the hierarchy in Burgundy and Alsace, defined appellation by appellation.
- CruA vineyard or place recognised for its wine; the precise meaning depends on the region.
- Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC)French label that protects the name of a wine produced in a delimited area, under a controlled specification.