Joanna Simon

There are 140 in total, from all parts of vinous France, but heavily biased to the south, and they are named according to provenance, which can be a vast region, such as Vin de Pays d’Oc, or a tiny area, such as Les Coteaux de Coiffy. Most, echoing the new world, are varietal wines — made from and labelled with one grape variety — but there are blends, too. In terms of hierarchy, they sit above basic French vin de table, but below appellation d’origine contrôlée — which is why some people (especially French people) are still sniffy about them. In reality, the looser rules that govern their production are attracting some dynamic wine-making talent — home-grown and foreign — so their quality has never been better.