Terroir is an area of land, made up of a type of soil including the sub-stratae; the micro-climate which includes number of days of sun or rain or snow or hail or whatever; the topography including the ups and downs; and what generally grows successfully. This all goes to make up the "typicity".
The Appellation is the formal naming of a part or parcel of this land on which the produce grown is very high, including the grape varieties and the traditional way of raising the vines.
For example. If you know London at all, you will know the splendid parks.
Picture Regent's Park.
Imagine it planted with vines.
Imagine the whole area representing a type of soil making the land ripe for growing a particular type of vine.
Then, imagine the Inner Circle part of Regent's Park. This might have a very high quality type of soil, or a particular slope down to the south and/or west (so the crops get lots of sun), making the production of certain types of grapes outstanding. So the Inner Circle might become an Appellation. It could take the name of AOC Inner Circle. (AOC = Appellation d'Origine Controllée)
Then, just to make things even more qualitative and to narrow down the number of varietals and/or typicity, take a tiny part of the AOC Inner Circle, such as Queen Mary's Rose Garden and make of that a "super"-Appellation. (Usually allows a smaller number of types of wine.)
An example of a "super"-Appellation in the Loire Valley is Vouvray.
The underlying appellation of Vouvray is AOC Touraine.
So, you have the whole area of Regent's park where a certain type of vine would grow and produce well. The Outer Circle vines would produce very good table or country wines. Then you would have the AOC Inner Circle where the quality is higher than the rest of the Terroir. Then you would have the tiny Queen Mary's Rose Garden area which would be a Super-Appellation.
It is only what all good gardeners do to get the best out of growing their veggies. You could create your own Appellation in your back garden!
Has this made it easier to understand?
I hope so.
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