Born in Dijon in 1948, Jacques FANET studied agricultural engineering from 1968 to 1971 at the National School of Agronomy in Montpellier, where he specialized in viticulture and oenology. 

Early work on wine AOCs in the Mediterranean region

He taught oenology for three years before becoming director of the INAO center in Perpignan, which at the time was responsible for managing the wine AOCs in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Aude departments. This work allowed him to gain extensive knowledge of the people and wines of these departments, including their production of natural sweet wines, sparkling wines, and still wines. He was also deeply involved in the work to define the boundaries of the future Minervois AOC.

A passionate and highly active man, he became involved in the labor movement by serving as head of the CFDT union for INAO employees; after several years of work, the union’s efforts enabled this organization to be granted the same status as employees of the agricultural offices on January 1, 1986. 

In 1985, he was promoted to head of the INAO’s services for the Mediterranean region, including the centers in Perpignan, Narbonne, Montpellier, Avignon, Hyères, and Bastia. This period was marked by the granting of AOC status to a number of high-quality designated wine appellations (AOVDQS) from around the Mediterranean, such as “Coteaux du Languedoc,” “Minervois,” and “Corbières,” which were recognized as AOCs in late 1985. He also worked on drafting a report defining the production areas for the “Côtes du Rhône” and “Côtes du Rhône Villages” AOCs.

A Major Role in Integrating the Agri-Food Sectors into the INAO

In 1990, he was appointed deputy director of the INAO. The Institute’s remit had just been expanded to include cheese AOCs and all agricultural AOCs. Jacques Fanet was responsible for defining the production requirements for all French AOCs and for coordinating their three national committees. The vast diversity of the cases he handled demonstrates the breadth of his expertise. For example, he worked on a wide range of projects, such as the recognition of the first olive AOC, “Olives de Nyons,” the recognition of the “Rocamadour” goat cheese AOC and the “Tome des Bauges” AOC, and the introduction of a restriction on the milk collection radius for dairies producing “Comté” AOC cheese... He also led broader discussions within the wine AOC sector, such as those concerning the hierarchy of AOCs and the migration of grape varieties. 

His unique approach, which takes geology and climate into account, his knowledge of all French vineyards and those of other wine-producing countries, combined with his exceptional skill as a wine taster, further strengthened his determination to expand his research on the impact of natural and human factors on the development of the natural environment. 

A decisive contribution to the international recognition of terroir

In 1996, he initiated cooperation between the INAO and the INRA, which enabled France to propose an international definition of wine terroir, which was adopted in 2010 by all Member States of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). 
This passion for wine terroirs also led to the writing of several authoritative works on the subject, notably the 2001 publication of the seminal work *Les terroirs du vin* by Hachette.

During this period, he also assisted numerous countries in developing the concept of appellations of origin and establishing protection systems, widely sharing France’s experience. He undertook numerous assignments throughout Europe, notably in Hungary; in Latin America, such as in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, where he worked with producers of Patagonian lamb; in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; and as a guest of honor in Japan.

In 1999, he worked at the International Organization of Vine and Wine, where his experience, knowledge of the wine industry, and interpersonal skills led to the organization’s adoption of the international definition of wine terroir.

An Ongoing Commitment to Industry Professionals

In 2002, he accepted an offer from the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC wine syndicate to become its director. He then drew on his extensive knowledge of the people and the region during the development of the future “Languedoc” AOC, recognized in 2007, which was designed to bring together the vineyards of the four Languedoc departments under a single appellation. Until his retirement in 2009, he was also deeply involved in the work to establish a hierarchy among the region’s AOCs.

At the same time, he became involved with the “Planète Terroirs” association, which, in 2005 in Paris—through the hosting of its first International Meetings at and organized by UNESCO—secured the adoption of the definition of the concept of terroir. This association promotes international exchanges among stakeholders working on and for the development of terroirs. He served as its president from 2017 to 2024 and, in recent years, provided support in particular for the preparation of applications for various AOP and IGP designations.

Since his retirement, Jacques had maintained close ties with the wine industry, willingly sharing his unique expertise on wine terroirs—particularly in Languedoc and Champagne—with professionals and academics alike. He was deeply committed to passing on his knowledge to younger generations.

Throughout his career, Jacques forged enduring friendships with a large number of professionals, all of whom are deeply saddened by his passing. 

The INAO and its staff extend their sincere condolences to his four children, his grandson, and all his loved ones.