Denominação de Origem Controlada

The denominação de origem controlada (or DOC) is the system of protected designation of origin for fruit, wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.

It is similar to the French Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC), and the Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) systems.

Producers are required to submit finished wine samples to a regulating body to ensure compliance with DOC standards.

[2] In addition to the top-level DOC designation, there are two secondary tiers: Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) and Vinho Regional.

Vinho Regional is similar to the French Vin de pays and is sort of a "catchall" classification for wines that do not qualify under the DOC or IPR designations.