 Tavel revealed itself as propitious for wine growing with the introduction of vines to the Rhone valley by the ancient Greek Phoceen civilisation and the Roman colonies. Archaeological digs at a Gallo-Roman site revealed a stock of grape pips resulting from pressing and thereby indicating a regular production.
After the dark ages of the barbaric invasions, the rural renaissance, towards the end of the middle ages, was marked by numerous real estate transactions, which indicates the existence of a demand for vineyards, notably by the various ecclesiastical institutions which were widely established locally.
As from the XVI century, historians, with the help of extensive archives, reveal a remarkable development of the vineyards. As indicated in the land registers, the peasants abandoned the cereal crops for wine growing and thereby passed over to commercial agriculture with an advance of two centuries compared to French country life.
The notoriety of Tavel was affirming itself. Rome was conquered after the Pontifical court close to Avignon. French nobility and royalty displayed a taste for Tavel wine. Upstream, along the Rhone, trading reached Burgundy, Paris and Holland. While downstream the market to the Italian princely courts was opened. The Tavel name was associated with a quality wine and the Inland Revenue recognized this!
"The inhabitants of Tavel do not have any commerce nor industry. But do have a major resource with the sale of their highly desirable quality wine."
An extract from the 1734 capitation register.
The village was still prosperous at the start of the XIX century carried by the demand, of a growing bourgeoisie, for Tavel wine. It could be found in all of the best French catalogues. After the phylloxera disease which destroyed the vineyards, around1870, the vintners reconstructed and protected the natural advantage and notoriety.
One of the very first syndicates for the defense of French agriculture appeared in Tavel in 1902. In 1928, after numerous long judicial battles fought with passion and tenacity, the vintners obtained the delimitation of the Tavel appellation area. In 1936, after the creation of the 'INAQ', they immediately obtained the A.O.C. classification.
 A remarkable spirit of initiative, constant belief in their product, a passion and respect for their territory are the human qualities that have enabled the long lineage of vintners to make Tavel internationally renowned.
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