From Mediterranean Shores to Mason County Sands: Act I – A French Connection

From Mediterranean Shores to Mason County Sands: Act I – A French Connection

In the 6th century BC, long before any of the major wine producing regions of France had been established, the Phoenician Greeks landed on the rocky Mediterranean shores near Marseilles in southern France. They brought with them their civilization, commerce, and grape vines for local wine production. The estuarial conjunction of the Rhone River with its access to the open sea was a convenient transfer point that helped establish a fledgling wine culture in the area.

The Romans came later with their devotion to wine and overlaid their empire upon this region pushing vineyards farther inland and up the local hillsides in the vicinity of what is now the village of Le Castellet. This historical picture can still be seen today in the small Appellation in southern France called Bandol.

More at: http://vintagetexas.com/blog/?p=612