or the so-called German Munster, which is nothing like its French namesake). AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) Munster is a soft, washed-rind cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. The rind of a ripe Munster...

— appellation d’origine Berthaut." It also has a sticker on it that says “Ministere de l'Agriculture et de la Peche — Councours General Agricole — Medaille d'or Paris 2001”. Even through the...

Let me explain the “classification.” Both Cognac and Armagnac are classic brandies of France. (So, too, is Calvados, but — made from apples — is clearly a different type of brandy.) Each has its own...

honest here). I’ve also had pizza with the appropriate Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée all over Naples (Los Angeles already has a good rendering of Neopolitain pizza at Antica, named after the Antica Pizzeria...

is the wine that is sold in a 187ml (“split,” or quarter-bottle) or in, say, a 6.0L (Methuselah). Under the rules and regulations of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée for Champagne, a wine is still considered to...

“premium” dépanneur wines, with their meaningless "appellation d’origine certifiée" moniker, a marketing invention designed to lure unsuspecting consumers into thinking they’re getting a quality product...