Although known to the Celtic peoples who occupied southern Gaul, vine-growing and wine production were given a boost by the arrival of Greek colonists from Phocaea, who settled in Massalia (Marseille) from the early 6th century BC. As a result of more advanced techniques and possibly more productive grape varieties, on the one hand, and a commercial network and wide distribution on the other, wine production seems to have increased right up to the time of the Roman conquest, a period during which Gallic peoples and Roman merchants traded in harmony.

L’analyse de moût de raisin a révélé que, dès la fin du VIe siècle avant J.-C., les Gaulois habitant le Mourre de Sève, une colline de Sorgues située à quelques kilomètres de Saint-André-des-Ramières, cultivaient la vigne et produisaient du vin. Il aura fallu la découverte puis l’expertise de presque 1 600 restes de pépins et de pédicelles formant le moût de raisin pour faire remonter l’origine du vin en Vaucluse de plusieurs siècles. Les Gaulois du Mourre de Sève cultivaient sans doute le raisin et procédaient à sa vinification dès la fin du VIe siècle avant J.-C. C’est la découverte la plus ancienne actuellement connue en Provence, au-delà des côtes méditerranéennes. The Gauls, who lived far from the coast, did not wait for Greek and then Roman settlers to become winegrowers.

It was certainly known that wines produced on the Mediterranean coast travelled in amphorae made in Marseille (amphorae massaliotes) into the heart of Gaul from the second half of the 6th century BC, and increasingly from the 5th century BC. A highly traded commodity, wine was appreciated by drinkers of fermented beverages such as barley beer. “For them wine was exceptional, to be consumed on festive occasions, much like champagne is today, in prestigious drinking vessels of Greek and Estruscan origin”, suggest archaeologists Pascal Marrou and Maeva Serieys, specialists in the Iron Age. Although the presence of this culture which was particularly well adapted to the local terroir with its sloping, stony soils, limestone subsoils, and dry climate is acknowledged, until now it was not known if the grapes were destined for eating or making wine. We knew that the Gauls of the Iron Age were farmers, metallurgists and potters…. it seems that they were also winemakers.

It was as a result of a conflict between the Gauls and the Greeks that the Romans first colonised the south of Gaul around 125 BC, and later all of Gaul between 58 and 51 BC. This led to widespread development of wine production, and the countryside of southern Gaul became covered with wine domaines, known as villae, often owned by Romans. The earth was cleared of scrubland, drained and planted with vines, and production rocketed, leading to the diffusion of wine from Gaul across the entire Roman Empire.

The Vaucluse region played an important role in Gallo-Roman wine production due to the quality of its soils and the exposure of its hillsides, as well as its proximity to major trade routes. It was crossed by three major communication routes: the Domitian Way (Via Domitia) linking the Italic and Iberian peninsulas (Italy and Spain); the Agrippa Way linking Lugdunum (Lyon) to Arelate (Arles) and linking the centre of Gaul and the Mediterranean more widely; and of course the Rhône, this great waterway enabling Gallic products to be distributed to the south and around the Mediterranean, but also to the north and the borders of the Empire.

The proximity of the river was therefore an advantage for trade, particularly with Italy, which at the time was very keen on wine from Provence. However, Italy's enthusiasm for these wines undermined the quality of certain regions, such as Campania on the outskirts of Naples. As a result, the Roman emperor of the time (Domitian) ordered that all the vines in the Rhône valley, and in particular those in the Vaucluse, be uprooted. It was a beneficial move, however. Indeed, when the vineyards on the plains disappeared, the vineyards on the hillsides progressed, the latter being of much better quality.

Unfortunately, barbarian invasions later proved almost fatal to the vines, with only a few remaining, cultivated by a handful of Gauls who had taken refuge in fortified hilltop sites. But it was enough to maintain this heritage for almost 500 years.

It was not until five centuries later, around the 6th century, and thanks to religious leaders, that vineyards began to grow again in the Vaucluse region. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory X bought the Comtat Venaissin from the King of France, and a period of stability began for wine production in the Comtat. It lasted for five centuries.

It was in 1309, with the arrival of Clement V in Avignon, that winegrowing experienced a real period of prosperity. At the time, it was customary for each pope to restore vineyards around their castle, and this was how Châteauneuf-du-Pape was born. Most Comtat wines were sold in the Aix region. They were then taken to the southern Alps to be exchanged for wheat. Certain vineyards, such as Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, were widely recognised at the time. In fact, at the beginning of the 15th century, the town of Carpentras had a supply of around 300 litres of wine for each of its... 3,500 inhabitants!

But the departure of the papacy from Avignon in the early 15th century put the brakes on this impressive progress.

The name Côtes-du-Rhône was first used in the Gard, near Roquemaure, the appellation of the Gard, and so the Côtes-du-Rhône came into being. Today it is an appellation that is renowned and distributed far beyond the frontiers of France.

After its beginnings in the Gard region, everything quickly changed when the Comtat Venaissin became part of France in 1791. It was here that the department of Vaucluse was born. The winegrowers of Provence at the time did not hesitate to ‘copy’ the Gard appellation. The Côtes-du-Rhône were born.

Despite the appearance of numerous diseases such as moths, grape berry worms and, from 1848, powdery mildew, the vine became a major source of income.

In the 1860s, railway development boosted production. Unfortunately, a terrible vine disease was to turn everything upside down: phylloxera. This biting insect, related to aphids, came from the United States and devastated our vineyards. Farmers turned to crops such as wheat, cherries and apricots.

Fortunately, reconstruction began, but from then on the vines had to be grafted, which required a lot more work. Small mixed farming estates rubbed shoulders with large estates that gradually specialised in winegrowing.

Et l’histoire n’est pas finie. Au tout début du siècle passé, une crise viticole sans précédent n’épargnera pas les vignobles vauclusiens. Malgré tout cela, l’activité retourne vers une certaine prospérité pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. La vigne s’étend déjà sur de nombreux territoires, et le gel des oliviers de 1956 contribuera largement à son essor.

Ah Châteauneuf-du-Pape! It was here that the notion of an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, now Appellation d'Origine Protégée) first took shape, when Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié set up a wine protection association in 1923.

In 1933, on the basis of a court case, the Baron obtained a ruling defining and delimiting the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. That same year, along with the gastronome Curnonsky, he initiated the creation of the Académie du Vin de France.

On 12 March 1935, Joseph Capus submitted to the Senate a draft law that he had drawn up in full consultation with Baron Le Roy. The provisions of the ‘Loi Capus’ were then incorporated by Edouard Barthe into the decree-law of 30 July 1935. The first classification took place on May 15, 1936, at the same time as the wines of Arbois, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, Cassis and Monbazillac. These were the first AOCs for wines, completed by Cognac brandy.

Gigondas
AOP in 1971

Vacqueyras
AOP in 1990

Rasteau
PDO in 2010 for dry red wines