Côtes du Vivarais

There is evidence that vines grew in the area between the Rhône and the Cévennes more than 2,000 years ago, tended by a Gaulish tribe known as the Helvii; however, viticulture was not developed on a large scale until the Middle Ages.

In the late 16th century, French soil scientist and father of modern agriculture Olivier de Serres, described the wines of Vivarais as “so precious and delicate that there is no reason to look elsewhere”. The varietals grown here at the time were fairly resistant to disease and frost, gave good yields and were cost-effective.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Vivarais winegrowers established their own cooperative winery, where the bulk of the appellation wine is still produced today. In the late 1950s, a small handful of winegrowers challenged themselves to improve quality further still; they replanted their vineyards choosing only noble varieties found to be compatible with the soils. These included Grenache Noir, and Syrah for reds, and white Grenache and Marsanne for whites.

The wines were awarded VDQS appellation status in 1962, and the winegrowers’ talents and persistence were further rewarded in 1999 when Côtes du Vivarais wines were officially granted AOC status.