The name is derived from the historical province of France named after its capital, Orléans. In the Middle Ages, this was an important wine-growing area. It was part of the French royal domain, so the French royal family and the city of Paris supplied themselves with wine from there. The transport of wine to the capital was facilitated by the short distance (130 km) as well as by a continuous cobblestone road. According to legend, King Henry IV (1553-1610) appreciated Orléanais wines in abundance. However, under Louis XIII (1601-1643), Orléans wine was gradually abandoned. After the French Revolution, the province was dissolved and divided into the departments of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, and partly Eure-et-Loir and Yonne. The former VDQS area Orléanais (also Vins de l'Orléanais) was divided into two areas in 2002, which were then classified as AOC in 2006. These are Orléans and Orléans-Cléry.
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