Quality & Terroir

A certain special selection of high-quality apples and pears of the Savoie region of southeastern France benefit from a protected geographical indication status. Sixteen different types of apples and six varieties of pears are produced under this label in orchards located in the valleys of this mountainous area of France. The orchards are all located […]

Key French agricultural agencies recently announced the creation of a national Economic Observatory of Official Desginations of Quality and Origin (Label Rouge, protected designation of origin, protected geographic indication, organic farming, etc.). The development of products protected by quality denominations is an important base for encouraging an agricultural production that creates value, is less sensitive […]

The French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), a public agency under the authority of the French Ministry of Agriculture, which implements public policies relating to official signs of quality and origin ( geographic indications, “red label,” organic farming) , released its report detailing actions taken in 2015, the year of the organization’s 80th […]

Coteaux du Layon is a sweet white wine made in the Loire Valley of western France. Known as the “Garden of France,” the Loire Valley is famed for its stunning castles, breathtaking scenery and its high quality wine and agricultural production. The area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Coteaux du Layon […]

France, rich in the diversity of its different types of agriculture, the abundance of its culinary cultures and the vitality of its gastronomic heritage, adopts several living tools dedicated to the culinary cultures of France and of the world. In total, four cities – Tours, Paris-Rungis, Dijon and Lyon, have brought together their collective energy […]

Red Chinon wine, which benefits from protected designation of origin (PDO) status, is a wine from the famed wine-producing Loire Valley of center western France. The links to terroir of the Red Chinon wine region deeply affects the wines that are produced there with the geology of each part of the region modifying the taste […]

Chablis wines — recognized for their purity, freshness, delicacy and mineral flavor, are produced in an area surrounding the small town of the same name in northern Burgundy. The Chablis region is renowned for its production of exceptional dry white wines. These wines may only be produced under certain rules as they are protected under […]

After nearly two weeks of assembly, the World Heritage Committee concluded its annual session on July 8, 2015, which resulted in two French additions to UNESCO’s World Heritage List: The production properties of Champagne and the climats and terroirs of Burgundy. France is now home to 41 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The first of the […]

French Minister of Agriculture, Stephane Le Foll, praised the historic step taken on May 21st in Geneva for the international protection of Geographical Indications. The 28 member states of the Lisbon Agreement decided by unanimity to extend the current international protection system of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO- also referred to as appellation d’origine controlée […]

Bleu d’Auvergne (Protected Designation of Origin – PDO) is one of the world’s best-known blue cheeses. Named after the central French region from which it originates, the Bleu d’Auvergne, made from cow’s milk, is milder in taste. Indeed, the balance that Bleu d’Auvergne strikes between the traditional potency of blue cheeses and the earthiness it […]