The significance of France’s 363 PDOs and 74 PGIs

n 2018, France’s vineyards produced 21.98 million hectolitres of wine labelled with a protected designation of origin (PDO) and 12.66 million hl with a protected geographical indication (PGI) according to the latest figures released by the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO). PDO wines thus account for 58.2% of national output, compared with 33.5% for PGIs.

Combined, the 363 PDOs and 74 PGIs account for 92% of national wine production. 92% of the 76,000 declared wine producers also qualify for at least one official quality and origin assured standard (SIQO). This percentage drops to 14% for non-wine-producing farms. As a measure of the significance of SIQOs in the wine industry, the share of PDO and PGI wines rises to 94% of marketed volumes and 96% of areas under vine.

8 out of 10 PGI wines are from Occitania

As the chart below shows, production of PDO and particularly PGI wines is focused on specific regions. With one in every three PDO wines, the New Aquitaine region corners the category by volume (especially with the Bordeaux appellations, but also Bergerac...). Regional domination is even greater for PGI wines, where Occitania accounts for eight out of ten wines (most notably with Pays d'Oc).