🍷 Protected geographical indication
A protected name for wine from an area with looser rules.
A protected geographical indication, PGI for short, is a protected name for wine from a certain area. The rules are looser than for a designation of origin. For a PGI it is enough that at least 85% of the grapes come from the named area. The rest may come from elsewhere.
PGI is part of the European Union system that protects the names of products from imitation. If a bottle shows a name such as "Toscana" or "Veneto" with a PGI mark, the wine really comes from there and follows local rules. In different countries PGI goes by different names: IGT in Italy, formerly Vin de Pays in France, OFJ in Hungary.
PGI differs from PDO, the designation of origin, in its freedom. A PGI has a wider area and fewer limits on grapes and methods. But this does not mean "worse": there are many excellent wines among PGIs. The category only shows how strictly the place of origin and the method are defined.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Protected geographical indication ← similar ← 🏷️ Protected designation of origin (PDO) → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
How it connects to Food labels & standards
🍷 Protected geographical indication ← similar ← Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) → kind of → 🏷️ How to read a food label
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Protected designation of origin (PDO), Origin and protected names
- Similar and different
- 🏷️ Protected designation of origin (PDO), 🥃 Geographical indication (GI) of spirit drinks, Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG), Protected and generic food names
- In other topics
- 🏷️ Protected cheese names
- What defines it?
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications
Frequently asked questions
What is a PGI?
A protected name for wine from a certain area, with looser rules than a designation of origin.
How does PGI differ from PDO?
PGI allows more freedom: a wider area and more choice of grapes and methods.
What is PGI called in different countries?
IGT in Italy, OFJ in Hungary, and formerly Vin de Pays in France.
Comparisons
Guides
What to read next
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications — The EU law on protected names: PDO, PGI and TSG for food, wine and spirits in one system; applies from 13 May 2024 and replaced Regulation 1151/2012.
- 🏷️ Protected cheese names — Cheeses whose names are protected in the EU as PDO or PGI: made only in their region to an approved specification; the eAmbrosia register lists over 270.
- 🥃 Geographical indication (GI) of spirit drinks — A name of a spirit drink protected in the EU for a specific country, region or locality, when its quality or reputation comes from that place: Scotch whisky, cognac, grappa. Register: eAmbrosia.
- Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) — The EU mark for a product made to a traditional recipe or method used for at least 30 years, wherever it is produced.
- Protected and generic food names — Why Parmesan and feta in the EU must be the real thing, while gouda, camembert or balsamic vinegar can be made by anyone: where the line between protected and generic names runs.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Article 93 — definitions of PDO and PGI for wine (at least 85 % of grapes from the area for a PGI)
- European Commission: Geographical indications and quality schemes explained
- eAmbrosia — EU register of geographical indications and traditional terms
- Assemblée nationale, question n° 62956 (réponse du ministère de l'Agriculture): les vins de pays devenus IGP depuis le 1er août 2009
- Wikidata Q363268