French winemaking term
How to pronounce Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'origine contrôlée is pronounced ah-peh-lah-SYOHN doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY. The main stress falls on LAY.
ah-peh-lah-SYOHN doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY
What is Appellation d'origine contrôlée?
The traditional French system of controlled designations of origin, abbreviated AOC. Established in 1935, it regulates wine production including permitted grape varieties, yields, winemaking methods, and geographic boundaries. Though largely replaced by AOP under EU harmonization, the AOC designation remains widely used on French wine labels.
The name means “Controlled designation of origin” in French.
Tips for saying it
Often heard as ah-peh-lah-TSYOHN doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY.
In French, the t in -tion is a soft s, not the German ts: ah-peh-lah-SYOHN doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY.
Often heard as ah-peh-lah-SYON doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY.
The final on in appellation is a nasal vowel, so don't pronounce the n: ah-peh-lah-SYOHN doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY.
Often heard as ah-peh-lah-SYOHN doh-ree-JEEN kohn-troh-LAY.
In French, g before i is soft like the s in measure, with no d in front: ah-peh-lah-SYOHN doh-ree-ZHEEN kohn-troh-LAY.
Related pronunciations
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