AOP

So the appellation d’origin protegee and is the equivalent of the European level of the French AOC (Appellation d’Origin Controlée). It is the highest level of the French wine hierarchy. The AOP/AOC classification shows that wine is produced according to specific legal quality control requirements, and also acts as an indicator of origin. The terms ‘Grand Circa’ and ‘Premier Circa’ indicate a particularly high level of quality in AOP/AOC wine.