In 1152, Alienor of Aquitaine married Henri Plantagenet, future king of England. The union encouraged the development of winegrowing in SouthWest France, especially in Cahors. The production of the Black Wine of Cahors, very much appreciated by the British, grew considerably during this period.

Henry III of England "enjoined in 1225 the authorities of Bordeaux not to stop nor to impose a tax whatsoever on the wines that the merchants of Cahors, under his protection, were bringing to Gironde." Moreover, during their stopover at Rocamadur, the pilgrims of Saint James of Compostela found the wine of Cahors to their liking and thereby contributed to its good reputation throughout Europe. Cahors wines reached their pick in 1310 with a production of 850,000 hl, representing 50% of exports leaving from the port of Bordeaux.