Vines have been grown in the Ardèche for over 2,000 years, long before the Romans, but it was only in the Middle Ages that the Vivarais vineyards gained notoriety. At the beginning of the 20ᵉ century, it covered 25,000 hectares and the winegrowers joined together in cooperative cellars, which still vinify 90% of the harvest today.

Until the 1960s, the southern Ardèche had just one appellation, Côtes-du-Rhône de Bourg-Saint-Andéol, and produced mainly blended wines. But a few committed winegrowers began a radical transformation, uprooting hybrids and replanting noble grape varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Gamay, Cabernet-Sauvignon, etc.).

Thanks to this conversion, almost 90% of the vineyards have been restructured, enabling Ardèche wines to gain their letters of nobility 🍷

Southern Ardèche wines

In the Sud Ardèche, the vineyards are spread over 3 denominations:

🍇 IGP Ardèche and IGP Ardèche mention Côteaux de l’Ardèche: produced throughout the department
🍇 PDO Côtes du Vivarais: Bidon, Gras, Larnas, Labastide-de-Virac, Orgnac-l’Aven, Saint-Montan, Saint-Remèze, Lagorce, Vinezac + Gard
🍇 PDO Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Village Saint-Andéol: Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Saint-Just-d’Ardèche, Saint-Marcel-d’Ardèche and Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche.