glossary

A.O.C.

In France, an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée or controlled designation of origin guarantees the authenticity of a product, which to be entitled to the designation must be produced entirely in a specific region – from production of the raw materials to the end product. The Appellation precisely defines the terroir geographically, the methods of production, and the curing methods.

Thirty-nine types of cheeses in France currently carry the AOC mark, which was first defined in 1955.