The appellation was created by decree on 5 August 1938. Its vineyard forms a granite amphitheatre, open to the south and sheltered from the north wind by the limestone massif of the Arlettes. Most vines grow on weathered granite, on small terraces held up by dry stone walls. A small part, at Pied-la-Vigne, lies on limestone scree, and larger plots lie on alluvial soils at the foot of the slopes.

This sheltered setting brings early ripening. Although Hermitage is only 12 kilometres to the north, the harvest at Cornas often starts a week earlier. In Celtic, Cornas is said to mean burnt earth. In 1938 most of the wine was made by local merchants, and the first bottling by a grower came only in 1952. In 2021 the vineyard covered about 160 hectares.

Cornas is very dark, garnet to almost black, and turns amber with age. It is powerful and firmly built, with plentiful but silky tannins, and reaches its best after long keeping. The village itself speaks of a velvet texture after about ten years.

The wines above are the Cornas wines in the cellar. See also Saint-Joseph to the north, Côte-Rôtie for a Syrah that may include a little Viognier, or the full range of Rhône Valley wines.