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History |
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The story of the vineyard in Provence, is directly linked to the history of the men who grew it, cherished it and developed it. Gaul, Greeks, Romans, Provencal, popes, kings, emperors… Traces of wine trade in France have been found as far back as the 5th century BC; nevertheless wine production can only be traced back to year 10 BC. It is the discovery of potters workshop and wine potteries in the very heart of the region of designation Côtes du Ventoux, which allowed tracing the oldest wine production back to the year 30 BC. Vineyard cultivation and even more quality wine production developed in France in parallel with the expansion of the Church. The important Abbeys in the Middle-Ages played a key role in the growth of the designation Côtes du Ventoux both in quality and in quantity. It is mainly when the Popes lived in Avignon that the Church brought its biggest contribution to the development of the vineyards located on the Côtes du Ventoux. From 1309 until 1414, wines from the Côtes du Ventoux were often to be found on the Popes’ tables. Through the centuries, all of the French quality wines have found a place on the Kings of France table. The Côtes du Ventoux wines were amongst those. In the 19th century the king Louis-Philippe declared that his courtship wine would be the Grenache vieux de Mazan. M. Julien – vineyard and wine historian - places it amongst the best wine in the region alongside the Vin de Paille (Straw Wine) from Hermitage and the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. Along with the modern era comes the quest for quality. At the beginning of the 20th century, the concept of Appellation d’Origine Controllée (Registered Designation of Origin) was created. In 1939, the Côtes du Ventous region created a syndicate of the wine from the Ventoux, with the aim of promoting the quality and characteristics of the wine of the region. It became a “Vin Delimité de Qualité Supérieure” (Delimited Wine of Superior Quality) in 1953 and then got promoted to AOC on the 27th of July 1973. This promotion is the logical consequence of many centuries of work and efforts to reach the quality and characteristics of today Côtes du Ventoux wines. |