 It was first used to describe a grapevine growing in the Loire Valley in 1183 AD but whether or not this was Pineau d'Aunis is not known since "Pineau" has been a synonym used for Pinot noir, Chenin blanc and Menu Pineau (Arbois).Aunis, within what is now the Charente-Maritime department, was a "pays" erected into a historical province, the smallest of France, in 1374; it was a fief of the Duchy of Aquitaine, brought to the English monarchy by Eleanor of Aquitaine.In Aunis the grape may have once been grown, but is currently not widely planted.