Denominación de Origen (; Designation of Origin – DO) is part of a regulatory
classification system primarily for
Spanish wines (similar to the
French appellations) but also for other foodstuffs like
cheeses,
condiments,
honey and
meats, among many. In wines it parallels the hierarchical system of France (1935) and
Italy (1963) although
Rioja (1925) and
Sherry (1933) preceded the full system. In
foods it performs a similar role, namely
regulation of quality and geographical origin among
Spain's finest producers. There are five other designated categories solely for wine and a further three specifically covering food and condiments, all recognised by the
European Union (EU). In
Catalonia, two further categories—
Q and
A—cover traditional Catalonian artisan food produce, but were not recognised by the EU as of 2007. In recent decades the concept of the Denominación de Origen has been adopted by other countries, primarily in Latin America.