Quality wines produced in specified regions

The European Union regulates and defines the status of "quality wines" according to production method, management, and geographical location.

In 1962, shortly after the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC, or "Common Market") a set of rules were drawn up in which the normal common organisation of the market for a type of product – normally limited to a pricing system, rules on intervention and a system for trade with third-party countries – was extended in several areas in order to accommodate the diverse interests of wine production within individual member states.

At the time the EEC had only six members, four of which were major wine producers; France, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg.

The QWpsr classification surmounted these problems, dictating specific treatment for 'quality wines', excluding them from classic market management mechanisms such as distillation and storage, while requiring stricter discipline for production and control.

Early agreements respected the broad outlines of French national legislation and were also acceptable to Italy.