The Pays Nantais has been producing wine since the Roman era. After the fall of Rome, the fortunes of the vineyards fluctuated as waves of invasions swept over the region. However, isolated monasteries continued to grow vines, and took advantage of the numerous routes of communication to develop overseas commerce. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the local wine trade was dominated by Dutch distillers, for whom Nantes was a convenient port from which to ship the wine they used to make brandy. It was the Dutch who first planted a few vines of the Melon de Bourgogne, which today makes Muscadet Sur Lie, the largest white wine appellation in France, and one of the most popular wines in the world.