Several legends trace coq au vin to ancient Gaul and Julius Caesar, but the recipe was not documented until the early 20th century;[3] it is generally accepted that it existed as a rustic dish long before that.

[2] A somewhat similar recipe, poulet au vin blanc, appeared in an 1864 cookbook.

[4] Simone Beck, Louisette Bertholle and Julia Child included coq au vin in their 1961 cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking,[5] and Child prepared it twice on the PBS cooking show The French Chef.

Standard recipes call for red wine (often Burgundy) for braising, lardons, button mushrooms, onions, often garlic, and sometimes brandy.

The chicken is seasoned, sometimes floured, seared in fat and slowly simmered in wine until tender.