Vivarais

Vivarais is a traditional region in the south-east of France, covering the département of Ardèche, named after its capital Viviers on the river Rhône. In feudal times part of the Holy [Roman Empire] with its bishop as count, it became in 1309 one of the Capetian territories as included in the Languedoc province of the French realm, and continued to be a French province until 1789.
In 1999, a wine region, Côtes [du Vivarais AOC], was established near Côtes du Rhône in several communes of the south of département Ardèche and a few in northern Gard.