Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
German: Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g.U.) Also known as: g.U., gU, PDO
An EU quality label for products entirely made and processed in a defined area.
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is an EU protection mark. All steps from production to processing must take place in a delimited area, and the product's characteristics must essentially result from local natural and human factors.
For wine the PDO corresponds roughly to the German quality wine; for spirits there are separate geographical indication rules. The designation is protected against misuse by EU law. Labels often show the red and yellow EU mark, next to the name of the area. The applicable regulations are authoritative.
Related terms
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)Origin labellingWine quality categories
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