Fat Bastard (wine) as a bilingual pun, alluding to the buttery taste of the Chardonnay being similar to that of the famous "appellation d'origine controlee" of Bâtard-Montrachet. The wine label now carries an apocryphal claim that it was "named after a British expression describing a particularly rich and full wine". The brand was introduced on the market in 1998. The production run for the first vintage was only 800 cases (about ten thousand 750 ml bottles), but as time passed, the brand became the largest-selling French Chardonnay in the United States. In 2006, 500,000 cases (equivalent to 6 million 750 ml bottles) of
French cuisine contrôlée" (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws. French cuisine was made important in the 20th century by Auguste Escoffier to become the modern haute cuisine; Escoffier, however, left out much of the local culinary character to be found in the regions of France and was considered difficult to execute by home cooks. Gastro-tourism and the "Guide Michelin" helped to acquaint people with the rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of the French countryside starting in the 20th century. Gascon cuisine has also had great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France. Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated in variations