Wine Classification System
🇪🇺 EU Wine Classification System (General)
| Quality Level | English Name | Original Terms (examples by country) |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | Protected Designation of Origin | PDO (g.U. – Germany, DOP – Italy, AOP – France) |
| Intermediate | Protected Geographical Indication | PGI (g.g.A. – Germany, IGT – Italy, IGP – France) |
| Basic Table Wine | Wine / Table Wine | Wein (DE), Vin de Table (FR), Vino da Tavola (IT), Vino de Mesa (ES) |
🇩🇪 Germany – Wine Classification System
| Quality Level | German Term | EU Equivalent | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | Prädikatswein | PDO | High-quality wines with natural sugar levels, no chaptalization. Includes categories like Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese. |
| High | Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) | PDO | Quality wine from a specific region. Chaptalization allowed. |
| Intermediate | Landwein | PGI | Regional wine with looser regulations. |
| Basic | Deutscher Wein (formerly Tafelwein) | – | Table wine, no regional designation. |
🇦🇹 Austria – Wine Classification System
| Quality Level | German Term (Austria) | EU Equivalent | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | Prädikatswein | PDO | Wines made from fully ripened grapes with no chaptalization. Includes quality levels like Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, etc. |
| High | Qualitätswein | PDO | Quality wine from one of Austria’s designated wine-growing regions (Weinbaugebiete). Must pass tasting panel and analysis. |
| Intermediate | Landwein | PGI | Regional wine with protected geographical indication. Less strict rules than Qualitätswein. |
| Basic | Wein (ehem. Tafelwein) | – | Table wine; lowest category with no regional indication required. May be from mixed origins. |
🇮🇹 Italy – Wine Classification System
| Quality Level | Italian Term | EU Equivalent | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) | PDO | The strictest designation, only for top-quality regions. |
| High | Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) | PDO | Controlled designation of origin. |
| Intermediate | Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) | PGI | Typical geographic indication. Less restrictive. |
| Basic | Vino da Tavola | – | Table wine with no origin designation. |
🇫🇷 France – Wine Classification System
| Quality Level | French Term | EU Equivalent | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) | PDO | Protected origin wines with strict rules (formerly AOC). |
| Intermediate | Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) | PGI | Regional wines with fewer restrictions (formerly Vin de Pays). |
| Basic | Vin de France | – | Table wine, without geographic designation. |
🇪🇸 Spain – Wine Classification System
| Quality Level | Spanish Term | EU Equivalent | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) or DOQ (Catalan) | PDO | Top-tier designation. Only Rioja and Priorat currently hold this status. |
| Special PDO | Vino de Pago (VP) | PDO | Estate-specific wines from unique vineyards. |
| High | Denominación de Origen (DO) | PDO | Regionally controlled quality wines. |
| Intermediate | Vino de la Tierra (VdLT) | PGI | Country wine or regional wine. Less strict rules. |
| Basic | Vino de Mesa | – | Table wine with no regional or quality designation. |
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