At the same time, a rising appreciation and understanding of fine wine around the world has meant unprecedented access to a wide diversity of wonderfully distinctive wines, some from appellations virtually unknown until a few years ago.
In the late 1980's, the authorities endowed a few villages with an appellation, Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato, and the personal grape went commercial.
They confine themselves to a few small estates in satellite appellations of Bordeaux that meet their quality standards and will deal directly with importers.
He is not viewed as a "princeling," an appellation given those who have mined family connections for lucrative business opportunities or, in a few cases, political power.
Foppiano offers a petite sirah with a Russian River Valley appellation while Stags' Leap Winery offers a Napa Valley and a Napa Valley Reserve, of which only a few hundred cases are made each year.
Just a few years ago, Rhône Valley rosés were a rarity, outside the well-known rosé appellation of Tavel; now it is hard to find a Rhône producer – in the southern part of the valley, at least – who hasn't at least dabbled with rose.
"Saint-Joseph is an appellation with a big variety of styles, but always with a strong character," he said.
Our second and third wines, also at two and a half stars, were both Californians, and were both Gallo wines: a 2001 Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel, California appellation, and a 2000 Gallo of Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County appellation.
Raicilla makers working within an appellation like Jalisco — a tequla appellation that's also home to most raicillas — would not only not be able to put the word agave on their bottles.
Timbuktu's appellation as a city feels dubious.
