INAO, the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (formerly the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine), is the organization in charge of recognizing, granting, administering, regulating, and protecting the French appellations contrôlées, or AOC, now known as appellation d’origine protégée or AOP (see PDO) and the other official signes (signs) such as igp that identify quality and origin for agricultural products, including not just wines and spirits but also other alcoholic drinks, dairy products, olive oil, meat, honey, fruit and vegetables, etc. In 2014 there were more than 300 AOC/AOPs for wine (more than 350 if you count every alsace grand cru separately), 75 IGPs/vins de pays, as well as 50 AOPs for dairy products, and 45 for meat, poultry, olive oil, etc.
