The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (National Institute of the Labels of Origin). The INAO is a public establishment instituted by the law of July 30, 1935, modified by the law of July 2, 1990.

Its missions : the recognition of the labels of Appellation d'Origine Controllée (A.O.C.) the recognition of the label of origin of higher quality, Vin Délimité de Qualité (VDQS), by means of the demarcation of the geographical production areas and the fixing of the rules of production and approval.

The decisions taken by the professionals sitting at the National Committees, structures with voting rights, are transmitted to the supervising Ministries, that of Agriculture on one hand and that of Finance on the other hand, which accept or refuse them but may in no case modify them.

The INAO ensures the follow-up and the control of the production requirements, accompanies and advises the professionals. It contributes to the defense of the Appellations d'Origine as well in France as abroad as well as fighting against counterfeits, frauds or usurpations existing on the market.

The law of January 3, 1994 also allots to the INAO the defense of the Protected Names of Origin and Protected Geographical Ascriptions instituted by the European Union.

The A.O.C. mark - It identifies a typical and specific product whose character is linked to its geographical origin. Products recognized in Appellation d'Origine Controllée are the expression of an intimate bond between a production and one soil, all being implemented and perpetuated by men gifted with know-how.

Only professionals organized in unions for the defense of a product can initiate at the INAO a procedure of recognition as A.O.C.

This request is submitted to the competent National Committee which appoints a up Board of Inquiry made up by professional members chosen within its own ranks.

After an in-depth study, the Board of Inquiry submits its conclusions to the National Committee relating to the initial request and the production conditions. If the National Committee approves them, it proceeds to the demarcation of the production area. Once the latter completed, the National Committee approves the decree of recognition of the A.O.C., including the demarcation and the conditions of production, decree then transmitted to the supervising Ministries for signature and publication in the gazette of the French Republic. The A.O.C. in figures Today, more than 120 000 farms (more than 12% of the farms) draw the majority of their income from an A.O.C. production. The sales generated by the A.O.C sectors amount to 80 billion french Francs and exports increase regularly to exceed 30 billion Francs.

Wine sector - 90 000 wine growers have their activity based on the production of Appellation d'Origine. The surface in production is of 1,136,000 acres, i.e. 51% of the whole French vineyard. The volume of produced wine reached more than 3 billion bottles, that is 41% of the total production. The sales of A.O.C. wine exceeds 61 billion Francs (of which one third is on export); as to the sector of spirits, it amounts to 10 billion Francs.