“A very wholesome wine”: An 18th Century Map Showing the Vineyards of Côte-Rôtie

(Carte de France levee par ordre du Roy). No. 88 (Saint-Etienne – Saint-Marcellin. 1767). [1]

The image above is taken from Carte de France. Levee par ordre du Roy. (1750-1815) published by the Cassini family.  This particular map was executed in 1767.  Students of Northern Rhone wine should recognize at least two names which appear on this image, Condrieu and Ampuis.  Located just above the Ampuis label  is la Roche which is where Côte-Brune of Côte-Rôtie lie.  Near the Boucherey label is the Côte-Blonde.  On the slopes indicated by the hatching, appear little squiggly lines representing the location of the vineyards.

According to Mannie Berk, Duncan McBride’s General Instructions for the Choice of Wines and Spirituous Liquors (1793) is the first book in English to examine the wines of Côte-Rôtie.[2]  McBride writes that Côte-Rôtie “is a red wine, not so deep in colour as Claret.  When it may happens to be of a good vintage, and that, by skilful treatment, it is brought to a proper maturity, it will be found a very wholesome wine.”

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[1] (Carte de France levee par ordre du Roy). No. 88 (Saint-Etienne – Saint-Marcellin. 1767).  Rumsey Collection. URL: http://www.davidrumsey.com/
[2] McBridge, Duncan. General Instructions for the Choice of Wines and Spirituous Liquors (1793). Fascimile edition reissued by The Rare Wine Co. 1993.