Ermitage wines are also known as Hermitage wines. In fact, these two names are actually the same appellation. While this double spelling may be confusing, it is actually due to the history of Ermitage wines. Indeed, the wines of the AOC Ermitage took this name from the knight Gaspard de Stérimberg. The latter, tired of the crusades, decided to withdraw from society to live as a hermit on a hilltop in the Rhône Valley. There, a community joined him and together they planted vines.
But by the 19th century, the region's wines had established their name and trade with the UK was increasing. However, the English struggled with the pronunciation of the word "Ermitage" and thus, the letter "H" was added to the beginning of the word to facilitate the Anglo-Saxon pronunciation.
Therefore, although Ermitage wines were not written with an "H", this is currently the most common spelling, however both are accepted.
