Editing Calvados (section)

==Producing regions and legal definitions==
[[File:CalvadosAOCs.jpg|thumb|Map of Calvados appellation areas]]
Like many [[French wine]]s, calvados is governed by ''appellation contrôlée'' regulations. The three appellations for calvados are:

* The '''AOC calvados''' area includes all of the [[Calvados (department)|Calvados]], [[Manche]], and [[Orne]] [[departments of France|department]]s and parts of [[Eure]], [[Mayenne]], [[Sarthe]], and [[Eure-et-Loir]].
** AOC calvados makes up over 70% of the total production.
** A minimum of two years aging in oak barrels is required.
** The [[terroir]], geographical area, is defined.
** The apples and pears are defined cider varieties.
** The procedures in production, such as [[pressing (wine)|pressing]], [[fermentation (wine)|fermentation]], distillation, and ageing, are regulated.
** Usually, single-column distillation is used.
* The more restrictive '''AOC calvados [[Pays d'Auge]]''' area is limited to the east end of the department of Calvados and a few adjoining districts.
** Extensive quality control, the basic rules for AOC calvados together with several additional requirements, is practiced.
** Aging for a minimum of two years in oak barrels is required.
** Double distillation in an alembic pot-still is used.
** It must be produced within the designated area in Pays d'Auge.
** A minimum of six weeks of fermentation of the cider is required.
** Flavour elements are controlled.

[[File:calva visit.jpg|thumb|right|Small calvados producer around [[Cambremer]] on the cider route]]
* '''AOC calvados [[:fr:Domfrontais|Domfrontais]]''' reflects the long tradition of pear orchards in the area, resulting in a unique{{clarify|date=July 2012}} fruity calvados. The regulation is similar to the AOC calvados and the column still is used.
** A minimum of 30% pears from the designated areas is used.
** A three-year minimum of aging in oak barrels is required.
** The orchards must consist of at least 15% pear trees (25% from the 16th harvest).
* '''Fermier calvados''' ("farm-made") – some quality-minded producers both inside and outside the Pays d'Auge make "fermier calvados", which indicates the calvados is entirely made on the farm in a traditional agricultural way according to high quality demands.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/dining/calvados-a-taste-of-apples-and-fall-the-pour.html|title= The Flavor of Apples and a Sip of Fall|first= Eric |last= Asimov |author-link=Eric Asimov |date=31 October 2011|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=30 December 2011}}</ref>