[ap-puh-LAY-shuhn, Fr , . ah-pel-lah-SYAWN ]
Appellation is a geographical term which is used to identify where grapes for a wine were grown. Designated growing areas are governed by the rules and regulations established by a country's federal government or local governing body.
In France, these regulations are established by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), in Italy they are established by the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), in Portugal the Denominaçao de Origem Controlada (DOC) sets the regulations, in Spain it's the Denominación de Origen (DO) in Spain and in the United States it's the American Viticultural Area (AVA).