Few regions in France have such an important wine-making tradition as the Rhone Valley.
As early as 600 B.C., the Phocaeans planted the first vines around Marseille after founding the city. Gradually, the vineyards spread northwards, and by 71 AD, vines were being grown in Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage.
The Côtes du Rhône wines development was hindered by the power of the county of Burgundy, whose ambition was to supply the enormous market represented by Paris and London alone, and which, to do so, prevented the Rhône wines circulation through excessively high customs duties.
In the 19th century, the construction of the first railway lines finally allowed the Rhône Valley wines to become popular in Paris.