SAUTERNES.

Sauternes is the name of a village, the name of a shire and the name of an “appellation”.

The phrase, village and shire, everybody understand, but what is the sense of an appellation?

The word “appellation” originates from the French “Apellation d’Origine Contrôlée and is abbreviated to A.O.C.

This is a document of requirements which the wine must fulfill to carry the Sauternes label.

There are several A.O.C.’s and the requirements vary.  However, all of the requirements in the Sauternes appellation have to be fulfilled  by a wine carrying the Sauternes name.