The grape is a crossing of Grenache and Malbec created by Paul Truel in 1958 at Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA).

Caladoc was created by grape breeder Paul Truel at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in 1958.

The grape as a crossing between Grenache and Malbec that Truel created with the aim of having a vine that could grow in southern France that was less prone to coulure than either of its parents.

[3] While Caladoc is officially not permitted in any AOC wines, several winemakers in southern France (most notably the Languedoc and Provence) have experimented with the variety in red vin de pays blends.

[3] Outside France there are limited plantings in Lebanon,[4] Bulgaria,[5] Russia,[6] South America, Baja California, Portugal,[7] Israel, Turkey, and Mexico.