Definition: AOC Valais

Valais legislation sets out the rules for labelling. Mandatory information:

1. Name of the appellation.
2. Category designation.

The designation "AOC" must be accompanied by the indication of origin "Valais". The AOC designation is reserved for first category wines. These wines must comply with very strict production rules. The Valais AOC Wine Commission verifies these requirements and guarantees the accuracy of the information on the label for consumers. The "Grand Cru" designation is subject to higher requirements than those set for AOC. Category II wines (local wines) are wines that have been downgraded for commercial reasons or that have not reached the minimum degree required for AOC.

3. Name or business name and address of the producer, winemaker or merchant.
4. Indication of the volume of the bottle.
5. Indication of the alcohol content.

Optional information:
6. Cadastral designation of a specific place of production. Another designation, such as "Les Maillardoz", would mean that it is a commercial brand.
7. Year of harvest.
8. Indication that the wine was bottled on the estate.

Let's summarise the situation in Valais, which has only one AOC:
AOC: Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
AOC: French term = AOP: Appellation d'Origine Protégée: European term.
Definition:
According to the ordinance on PDOs and PGIs, an appellation of origin is the name of a region or place used to designate an agricultural product or processed agricultural product:
* originating in that region or place;
* whose qualities or characteristics are essentially or exclusively due to the
geographical environment (including natural and human factors);
* whose production, processing and preparation (e.g. the production
of fruit, its processing into brandy and bottling) take place in
a specific geographical area.
An AOC can therefore be summarised in three words:
> tradition > terroir > expertise.
For an AOC, the link to the terroir is very strong. The final quality and typical characteristics of the product depend on the natural environment, its agronomic qualities, but also on human labour and ingenuity in adapting to this environment. The terroir is a place of traditions, expertise and human practices.
To obtain an AOC, producers and processors must come together to define the characteristics of their product in a set of specifications. These specifications determine the production area, the physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the product, and the manufacturing methods that guarantee the product's identity.