THE WINE APPELLATION AS TERRITORY IN FRANCE AND CALIFORNIA

Conventional explanations of the distribution of winemaking regions em phasize the influence of edaphic and atmospheric environments of the v ine. This paper argues that legislation that reflects the political po wer of the prestigious winemaking areas has had a major impact, especi ally in France. The appellation legislation of France, and the assumpt ions underlying it, are established. It is conceptualized as a form of territorialization devised to regulate and capture advantages to some of the participants in the industry. I analyze the influence of the F rench principles and assumptions in devising the European Community an d California legislation. In particular, I consider the manner in whic h the underlying environmental determinism is used both to explain the distribution of prestigious wines and as criteria to establish wine r egions. The distribution of vine varieties in France and California il lustrates the tight control evident in France compared with the laisse z-faire policies in California. Some evidence of converging patterns i n the two territories is apparent.