Wines from countries which are member states of the European Union or countries which are associated with the European Union bear names derived from their place of origin, called appellations - an important Wine 101 term.

These appellations have requirements as to geographical origin, minimum alcohol percentage, permitted grape varieties, length of wood ageing, etc. For non-European wines the name of the producer is still the most important indication for quality.

The best known appellations for the highest-quality wines are:

French Wines:

• Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC)

Italian Wines:

• Denomiurazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
• Denomiriazione di Origine Controllota e Garantita (DOCG)

Spanish Wines:

• Denominación de Origen (DO)
• Denamirración de Origen Calificada (DOCa)

Portugese Wines:

• Denomiuiaçao de Origem Contralada (DOC)

German Wines:

• Qualitätswein (QbA)
• Qualitärswein mit Prädikat (QmP)