April 25th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Edward II of England was born in 1284.  He was married to Isabella of France (above) in 1308.  The wedding was celebrated at Westminster Palace with a fountain that contained wine and pimento which is described as a spiced medieval drink.  By the way, the bride was 12 years old. ugh.
• The Dutch fleet destroyed the Spanish fleet at Gibraltar in 1607.  This was part of the Eighty Years’ War between The Netherlands and Spain and it depressed the prices of grains, herring and wine (among other products).
• North Carolina's Swan Creek AVA was designated in 2008.

April 24th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Sir William Lawrence writes of treating Elizabeth Jarvis for syphilitic iritis of both eyes, with frequent relapses of inflammation.  She was discharged from St. Bart’s Hospital in London in 1828 after a year’s treatment after treatments that included milk and and wine and meat and wine.
• Lucy Maud Montgomery died in 1942.  She is the Canadian author of the Anne of Green Gables.  In the book, Anne Shirley is separated from her bosom friend and kindred spirit, Diana Barry because Anne accidentally got Diana drunk on currant wine.  They were later reconciled.
• The Pacherenc Vic-Bilh AOC was established in 2007.
• It is the feast day of Fidelis of Sigmaringen, the Capuchin Friar and Martyr is known for not drinking wine and wearing a hair shirt while a student.

April 23rd - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Geoffrey Chaucer was granted a galloon of wine per day for the rest of his life in 1374 by Edward III.  Chaucer lived until 1400.
• “Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.” from Othello by William Shakespeare who died in 1616.
• The Barbaresco DOCG designation was established in 1966.  These wines are from Italy's Piedmont region and are made of Nebbiolo grapes.
• Vinalia Urbana, a Roman festival celebrated the blessing of new wine and asking the gods for a good harvest.  Offerings were made to Jupiter who blessed the sacred wines used for offerings and Venus who blessed the profane or common wine that was for everyday use. 
• The French have a saying, « Georget, Marquet, Vitalet et Croiset, s'ils sont beaux, font du bon vin. » or “If it is nice on the days of St. Georget, Marquet, Vitalet and Croiset good wine will be made.”

April 22nd - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• In 1670, Lord Buckhurst wrote to George Williamson asking that George Crenit be appointed as one of the Commissioners for the Wine Act.
• In 1811 Captain Russell (of the 4th Battalion Norfolk Regiment) promises the Mess on bottle of wine if Lt. Col. Durrant shall state in his letter to Capt. Junck that the Regiment is likely to remain at Ramsgate during the summer.
• Lieut. H. Neve promised the Mess two bottles of wine if the Regiment remains at Ramsgate during this summer.  These wagers are marked as paid.
• British wine writer Jancis Robinson was born in 1950.
• Lord William Howard of Naworth Castle purchased Easter wine for the communicants at Wetherall in 1626.

April 21st - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Parilia, a Roman agricultural festival honoring the founding of Rome by Romulus was celebrated with beverage burranica, a combination of milk and sapa (boiled wine), after drinking this the festival would draw to a close when shepherds ran through a ceremonial fire three times.
• Dutch painter Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten was born in Haarlem in 1630.  He is known for painting “Still Life with Oysters” featuring a glass of white  wine as accompaniment. 
• In 1764, Samuel Johnson reported in his diary that as of the first of the year, “I have in some measure forborne excess of strong drink,” and even avoided wine on Easter Sunday.
• Virginia's Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA was designated in 1987.

April 20th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• James Boswell reports in “The Life of Samuel Johnson, L.L. D.” that Dr. Johnson laments during his Meditations that “Good Friday, April 20, 1764.  I have made no reformation; I have lived totally useless, more sensual in thought, and more addicted to win and meat.” due to royal munificence.
• Napoleon III was born in 1808.  He was both President and Emperor of France (sadly, in that order) who was married to  Eugénie de Montijo, grand-daughter of a Scottish wine merchant.
• The Mechanics Magazine, Volume 32 indicates that William Stone of Winsley, County of Wiltshire, gentleman was granted a patent for improvements in the manufacture of wine in 1840.
• Box wine was invented by Tom Angove in 1965.
• The Coteaux-des-Baux-en-Provence AOC was created in 1995.

April 19th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Ælfheah of Canterbury was murdered in 1012 by the Danes because he refused to offer them a ransom for his release and because they were drunk on wine brought from the south.
• Venetian painter, Paolo Veronese, died in 1588.  He is known for several paintings of the wedding at Cana, where Jesus transformed water into wine.
• George Gordon Byron, known as Lord Byron died in 1824. He used a skull found at Newstead Abbey as a wine cup. He wrote the poem Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed from a Skull.
• The Botticino DOC was created in 1968.
• The Cellatica DOC was created in 1968.

April 18th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Today is the anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. As a result of the quake 30 million gallons of wine were destroyed.
• The Monica di Cagliari DOC was created in 1979.
• The Nasco Cagliari DOC was created in 1979.
• The Bianco dell'Empolese DOC was established in 1989.
• In 2007, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published the results of a recent joint study by the University of Reading and University of Cagliari that showed moderate consumptions of Champagne May  help the brain cope with the trauma of stroke, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.

April 17th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• The British government in 1796 passed an import tax of 30 £ per tun on French wine and 20 £ per tun on Spanish or Portuguese wines 
• “The Colonist” of Sydney Australia contains an advertisement for H.E.I. Company offering for sale 100 Pipes of the, “Best Cape Madeira Wine”
• Ron W. Miller, former NFL Player and Disney executive was born in 1933.  He is also owner of Silverado Winery along with his late wife, Diane Disney Miller.
• North Dakota's first bonded winery since prohibition was bonded in 2002. The winery was Pointe of View Winery. North Dakota was the last state to bond a winery.
• The French have a saying, « Avril froid à la saint Anicet, pain et vin donne, mai froid les moissonne.» or “April cold on St. Anicet's day gives wine and bread, May cold reaps them.”
• It is Malbec World Day!  We have a couple to recommend!

April 16th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Vitellius becomes Emperor of Rome after defeating Otho in the Battle of Bedriacum in 69 AD.  His 9 month reign was marked by feasting and sending the navy to procure rare delicacies until he was deposed by Vespasian.
• Joseph Black, the Scottish chemist who discovered magnesium and carbon dioxide was born in Bordeaux in 1728.  Both his mother and his father’s family were in the wine trade.
• Spain's Ribera del Guadiana DO was created in 1999.
• The French have a saying, « Gelée à la Saint-Fructueux rend le vigneron malheureux. » or “Ice on Saint Fructeuex’s day make winemakers unhappy.”

April 15th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Leonardo da Vinci was born in Florence in 1452.  He is said to have employed his lifelong servant Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno, known as Salaì who worked in his vineyards and a model before becoming a student of da Vinci and eventually companion.  Upon da Vinci’s death Salaì received half of the vineyards.
• The Titanic sank in in 1912.  Like other ships in the White Star Line, it was not christened with Champagne.
• California’s Arroyo Seco AVA was designated in 1983.
• California's Cole Ranch AVA was designated in 1983.
• California's Santa Ynez Valley AVA was designated in 1983.
• Virginia's North Fork of Roanoke AVA was designated in 1983.

April 14th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Charles Collé the French dramatist and songwriter was born in 1709.  He wrote for his patron, the Duke or Orleans with jovial and bawdy often on the subjects of love and wine. 
• The Exposition Universelle of 1900 opened in Paris.  The Grand Prix de Champagne was won by a Ukrainian sparkling wine, Novy Svet, created by Prince Lev Golitsyn.
• The Grapes of Wrath  by John Steinbeck was published in 1939.
• The Loazzolo DOC was created in 1992.
• The Australian Geographical Indication "Piccadilly Valley" was registered in 2000.

April 13th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Krum, Khan of Bulgaria died in 814.  He used the skull of the Byzantine Emperor as a wine cup.
• Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and wine lover was born in Virgina in 1743.
• The first elephant in America was brought from India in 1796.  It was fed rice, hay and stray, “all kinds of wine and spiritous liquors”  it could also draw a cork from a bottle in its trunk. It was a sad existence.
• Baron Philippe de Rothschild was born in 1902.
• "Red Red Wine" written and performed by Neil Diamond was released in 1968 it was and later covered by UB40.

April 12th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Joanna of Castile died in 1555.  The daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, she was less devout than her parents who were referred to as “The Catholic Monarchs”.  She was accused of being corrupted by Parisian ‘drunkard’ priests and punished in the style of the Spanish Inquisition.  She was later deemed “insane” so that properly devout (and male) relatives could reign in her stead.  
• Christian IV of Denmark was born in 1577.  During a state visit to England a masque of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba  was put on.  It was described as a drunken fiasco.  Most of the players fell over from drinking too much wine.
• Per Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, Johnson had dinner with Boswell at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in 1776 with Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Langton, Lord Dunsinan and Sir William Forbes where they discussed the nature of wine and wit, JOHNSON. 'No, Sir: before dinner men meet with great inequality of understanding; and those who are conscious of their inferiority, have the modesty not to talk. When they have drunk wine, every man feels himself happy, and loses that modesty, and grows impudent and vociferous: but he is not improved; he is only not sensible of his defects.' 
• The Economist for this date in 1884 contained an article about the wine crop in the Rhine District of Prussia for 1883. (It was fine.)

April 11th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• George Canning, British statesman and son of a failed Irish wine merchant was born in 1770. 
• Percy Lavon Julian, an American chemist was born in 1899.  A former colleague from Howard University and released letters that Julian had sent him from Vienna which covered subjects such as wine, pretty Viennese women, music and chemical experiments.
• Ivor Spencer-Thomas inventor of “FizzIt” which turned still wine into sparkling was born in 1907
• Thomas Harris, creator of the character Hannibal Lecter best for know for eating  a census taker’s liver with a big Amarone was born in 1940.

April 10th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• George William Russell who wrote under the pseudonym Æ was born in 1867.  About the Easter Rising  he wrote, 

“And yet my spirit rose in pride
Refashioning in burnished gold
The image of those who died
Or were shut up in penal cell
Here’s to you Pearse, your dream, not mine
And yet the thought- for this you fell
Has turned life’s water into wine.”

— To the memory of some I knew who are dead and loved Ireland - 1917

• The Steuben County Wine Company of Chicago filed for a Trademark in 1905.
• Port Wine Institute was created in 1933.
• Washington's Red Mountain AVA was designated in 2001.

April 9th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Eleanor, became Duchess of Aquitaine in 1137. Aquitaine contained the vineyards of Bordeaux.  She would later become Queen of France and England.
• Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat was executed in 1747 for his participation in the Jacobite uprising and the Battle of Culloden.  “The British Chronologist”, describes his Lordship is having three glasses of watered wine on the morning of his execution but declined a 4th because no warm water could be found to mix with the wine.
• The Imperial Wine Company of London advertised in the April 9, 1864 issue of “The Spectator”..
• The Bramaterra DOC was created in 1979.
• The Girò di Cagliari DOC was created in 1979.
• The Australian Geographical Indication "Currency Creek" was established in 2001.

April 8th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Famed actress, Helena Modjeska died in 1909.  She and a small group of Polish artists and aristocrats emigrated to Anaheim, California to create a colony based on Brooks Farm.  They grew muscat grapes which no one would buy but instead stole… The colony failed and Modjeska returned to the theater but created her home at Arden in Anaheim until 1906.
• The Salice Salentino DOC was created in 1976.
• The Kanawha River Valley AVA was designated in 1986.
• It is the feast of St. Walter of Pontoise.  He is the patron saint of prisoners, prisoners of war, job-related stress and vintners.

April 7th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Jan van Riebeeck, who planted in the first grapes in Cape Town was born in 1619.
• The Cullen-Harrison Act went into effect in 1933.  This law was an amendment the Volstead Act and allowed the sale and taxation of low alcohol beers and wines.  It was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt.
• Suzanne Valadon, artist model and painter died in 1938.  She was the subject of the Toulouse Lautrec painting, The Hangover.
• Director Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939.  He owns Niebaum Coppola, Rubicon Estate, Inglenook, and the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.
• California's Yorkville Highlands AVA was designated in 1998.
• Spain's Penedés DO was created in 2002.

April 6th - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history. 

• Jan van Riebeeck established a supply camp near the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.  This would become Cape Town and van Riebeeck would plant the first vineyard there.
• The British Medical Journal for December 13, 1862 reports on the care Margaret McCaffrey by the physicians at Liverpool Northern Hospital as she suffered from double bronchopneumonia.  She was treated from January 1st 1862 until April 6th by several glasses of port wine with other medicines.  She recovered.
• Actress Candace Cameron Bure was born in 1976.  She is owner of Bure Family Wines in St. Helena, California. 
• Spain's Chacolí de Getaria-Getariako Txakolina DO was created in 1990.