As mentioned in the previous post, French wine are difficult to categorise, since each wine region got its own definition. However it is still possible to create a hierarchical classification of the French wine:
Region: The region is a the geographic wine region. It is not the same as the administrative French region. For example, the Bordeaux Wine Region is in the Aquitaine administrative Region; the Bugey Wine Region can only be found in the French departement Ain (01); the Loire Valley wine Region spread over 4 French administrtive regions which are Pays de la Loire, Centre, Auvergne et Rhône-Alpes.
Vineyard: The vineyard is the generic geographic place defined by its location and the type of soil. Sometimes a vineyard and a region have the same name. A vineyard can also defined as a plot of land used for the a plantation of vines.
Appellation: The appellation is the legal term designed around the Terroir (a set of special characteristics of a certain place) to protect geographic areas with specific wine characteristics (grape. alcohol level, ...). The main appellation in France are: AOC (Appellation d'Origne Controlée), AOVDQS (Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure), Vin De Pays, Vin De Table. Some appellations have the same name as its vineyard.
Variety: The Variety is a sub characteristic of the appellation. In France it can be about the grape variety, the sub-geographic origin, ... Sometimes it is also referred as denomination. The variety can have the same name as the appellation.
Producer: The producer is a wine maker and can be an individual, a company or a cooperative.
Label: The label is the piece of paper attached to the front of the wine bottle. It bears some or all of the classification information and more...