1980s and today its use varies according to the producer. History The earliest record of viticulture in the region dates to the 2nd century BC when the Romans first encountered the Allobroges tribe whose territory included the regions around Vienne. While winemaking continued to have a long history in the region, the Côte-Rôtie did not receive much recognition until the 18th century when Parisians began discovering the wines of Beaujolais and Rhône. Around the same time, the British also discovered the wines with the purchase logs of John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol providing one of the earliest English records of "Côte-Rôty" (sic) wine. There were added considerations with the transportation of Côte-Rôtie wine, with the region using 20-U.S. gallon (76 liter) amphora-like vases for transport instead of barrels or early wine bottles. Until a few decades ago, Côte-Rôtie was not a serious competitor to Hermitage, which was the best-known northern Rhône vineyard internationally. Demand for Rhône wines began to grow in the early 1970s, and this growth accelerated from the late 1970s/early 1980s. For Côte-Rôtie it was the wines of Marcel Guigal which gave the appellation increased attention from the early 1980s. This included top marks from international wine critics for Guigal's wines La Mouline and La Landonne. This increase in demand led to new vineyards being created. From 1982 to 2005, the area with planted vines increased from to . The origins of the Côte-Rôtie most famous planting—Syrah—is confirmed to be indigenous to the Rhone valley. Syrah has been genetically shown to be a cross between Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza. References External links Rhône wine AOCs 1940 establishments in France