What is "vivarais"

Vivarais (, ) is a traditional region in the south-east of France, covering the département of Ardèche, named after its capital Viviers on the river Rhône. In feudal times part of the Holy Roman Empire with its bishop as a count, it became in 1309 one of the Capetian territories as included in Languedoc province of the French realm, and continued to be a French province until 1789.

In 1999 a wine region, Côtes du Vivarais AOC, was established near Côtes du Rhône in several communes of the south of département Ardèche and a few in northern Gard.