The residents of the Cabardes region produced wine as early as the Roman occupation, but the modern appellation was made official only in 1999.
[1] As of 2007, these wines were relatively unknown in France, and their export, in terms of volume, is exceptionally rare due to limited production quantities and a relatively small marketing budget.
[1] The vineyards of the Cabardes cover a mere 500 hectares on the northwestern border of the modern Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.
[1] It is exceptionally small in size compared to the neighboring AOC areas like the 5,100 hectare-large Minervois or the 15,000 hectare behemoth of the Corbieres.
The appellation's location where these winds meet on the border of two major French climatic zones creates a unique microclimate that has influenced its development as a winemaking region.