August 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.

• The Roman Festival of Vinalia Rustica, celebrating the grape harvest was celebrated.
• Marcus Aurelius Probus who lifted the ban on vineyard planting in the Roman Empire was born in 232.
• Elizabeth Stuart was born in 1596.  After her marriage to Frederick V, Prince of Palatine and the Rhine, they began their journey to Heidelberg, meeting people from his kingdom and sampling local foods and wines.
• Edmond James de Rothschild, father of the modern Israeli wine industry was born in 1845.
• Junta Nacional do Vinho was created in 1937.
• Southern Flinders Ranges was entered into the Register of Protected Names by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corp. in 2003.

August 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.

• St. Fiacre of Breuil died in 670. He is the patron saint of gardeners.
• The Siege of Málaga ended in 1487.  This was part of the Reconquista of Moorish Spain, specifically the Emirate of Granada.  The Spanish victors brought “legal” wine back to Málaga.
• Pope Alexander VI dies after drinking poisoned wine in 1503. 
• Virginia Dare, the first English child in the New world was born in 1587.  She disappeared with the rest of the Roanoke Island settlers.  There is a winery named in her honor.
• Hacienda de San Lorenzo, the first winery in the Americas was begun in 1597 by Don Lorenzo Garcia in Santa María de las Parras, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico
• The cornerstone for Waddesdon Manor was laid in 1877.  Built by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild it contains a reproduction of the wine cellar at Château Lafite Rothschild and contains more than 15,000 bottles.  The largest private collection of Rothschild wines in the world.
• Bond girl, Carole Bouquet was born in 1957.  She is owner of Sangue d’oro winery in Sicily, Italy.
• California's Anderson Valley and Willow Creek AVAs were designated in 1983.

August 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.

• Cesare Borgia resigns the cardinalate in 1498, later that day he is named Duke of Valentinous.  He is best thought of as someone who poisoned the wine of his enemies.
• Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh set sail for an expedition to the Azores in 1597.  The Earl of Essex was given royal monopoly on sweet wines by Queen Elizabeth.
• Joseph II Holy Roman Emperor allowed residents to sell home made wine, juice and food products Heurigen or Austrian wine inns were created by Imperial decree in 1784. Fir trees hung above the door alerted customers to the arrival of the new season's wine.
• Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 in Jamaica.  He was a founder of Pan-Africanism, the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the Black Star Line.  The Black Star Line owned vineyards in Ethiopia to produce fine wines for their voyages.
• Len Evans, Australia’s leading ambassador of wine, died in 2006.

August 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.

• Agostino Carracci, an Italian painter was born in 1557.  One of his most famous works is of the Last Supper of Christ.
• St. John Bosco was born in 1815.  During his youth he worked at the vineyard of Louis Moglia to earn month for his education.
• Hugo Gernsbacher, Luxembourgish-American inventor, writer, editor and publisher and father of Science Fiction was born in 1884.  He is the son of a winemaker.
• Fess Parker, film and tv actor and winemaker was born in 1924.
• The Bagnoli di Sopra or Bagnoli DOC designation was established in 1995.  It is located in the Veneto region.
• The French have a saying, “À la Saint-Roch, grande chaleur prépare vin de couleur,” or (loosely) “Hot weather on St. Roch’s day, gives wine good color”.

August 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.

• The city of Vardzia was consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia in 1237.  The cave city was home to 25 wine cellars with 185 wine jars buried in the floor.
• Gabriel Báthory was born in 1589.  A prince of Transylvania,  he spent his teenaged years under the guardianship of his uncle, Stephen Báthory where he spent his days drinking wine and having affair with his aunt.
• French oenologist, Alfred de Vergnette de Lamotte, best know for his work on wine preservation, is named a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in 1869. 
• Barossa Valley and Eden Valley were entered into the Register of Protected Names by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation in 1997.
• The Australian Geographical Indication “Robe" was registered in 2006.
• Fête du Vin à Madiran ends.

August 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.

• John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford was born in 1499.  He was considered a wastrel and was ordered by Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey to be restricted to his hunting lodge, restricted his household size and was ordered to, “moderate his excessive hunting, drink less wine, not stay up late, eat less meat, and forbear excessive and superfluous apparel.”
• Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was born in 1642.  Among his accomplishments was the establishment of the Chianti wine region.
• Oregon Territory was created in 1848.  The territory now contains the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana.  There are bonded wineries in all of those states.
• Wine educator, Michel Dovaz was born in 1928.
• Fête du Vin à Madiran begins.

August 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.

• Louis François, Prince of Conti was born in 1717.  He purchased the Burgundy vineyard, La Romanée in 1760.  It has been known as Romanée-Conti ever since.
• James Gillray was born in 1756.  He was an English caricaturist and printmaker who parodied life in Georgian England.
• Eduard Buchner died in 1917.  He was a German chemist  who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on fermentation. He showed that an extract that was free of living yeast cells could still lead to fermentation.
• The Fara DOC was created in 1969.  These wines are produced around the commune of Fara and are made of Nebbiolo, Vespolina and Uva Rara
• The Arcole DOC designation was established in 2000.  These wines are produced around the Verona and Vicenza and made from Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Garganega and Bianco Arcole. 

August 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.

• Cleopatra died in 30 BC.  She is said to have owned the largest pearls in the world and she bet Marc Antony that she could spend a small fortune on a single  meal.  She won the bet by taking one of the pearls and dissolving it in wine vinegar and drinking the mix.
• The City of Jerez Spain in 1483 issued rules regarding The Raisin and Grape Harvesting Guild, protecting the designation of “Sherry”.
• Christopher Columbus stops in the Canary Islands in 1492 to restock provisions.  Food, water, delicious Canary wine….
• The French départment of Rhône-et-Loire was split into the départments of Rhône and Loire.  
• Eddie Barlow, South African cricketer was born in 1940.  In his retirement he bought a vineyard named Windfall.

August 11 - 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 Etna DOC in Sicily, the Rosso Piceno DOC in Marche, the Valtellina DOC in Lombardy and the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC  in Marche were created in 1968.
• The Vernaccia di Oristano DOC in Sardinia was established in 1971.  The grape Vernaccia di Oristano is different from the Vernaccia grape found on the Italian mainland.
• "A Walk In The Clouds" the 1995 movie set in 1940s Napa Valley opened.
• It is the feast day of St. Fiacre in Roman Martyrology. He is the patron saint of gardeners.  

August 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.

• In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese) left Seville, Spain for his around the world voyage. When provisioning his ships he paid more for Sherry than for weapons. This was perhaps the wrong choice as he was killed during the voyage by angry Filipinos.
• Eusebius Kino was born in 1645.  He was an Italian Jesuit and missionary who founded missions throughout Pimeria Alta (Upper Pima) in New Spain.  These missions were located in what is now northern Sonora in Mexico and Arizona.  Some of these missions had vineyards.  There is a wine from Baja California named in his honor.  
• Missouri was admitted to the union in 1821.  It is home to the Augusta, Hermann, Loess Hills, Ozark Highlands and Ozark Mountain viticultural areas.
• Margaux AOC in Bordeaux and the Quarts-de-chaume AOC in the Loire were named in 1954.
• Actor, Antonio Banderas was born in 1960.  As well as starring in Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie me Down!, he is owner of Anti Banderas in Ribera del Duero in Spain.
• It is the feast day of Saint Lawrence of Rome. He is a patron saint of Vintners who was martyred by grilling.

August 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.

• Hieronymus Bosch dies in 1516.  He was a Dutch painter known for his detailed works such as The Marriage at Cana; The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things, and the Allegory of Gluttony and Lust. 
• Mary Randolph, author of the cookbook, The Virginia House-Wife; Or, Methodical Cook was born in 1762.  She includes recipes for currant wine and mead and included recipes that included wine.
• Henry David Thoreau’s Walden; or, Life in the Woods was published in 1854.  It contains "I would fain keep sober always.... I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man; wine is not so noble a liquor.... Of all ebriosity, who does not prefer to be intoxicated by the air he breathes?” (crazy talk!)
• William Vere Cruess, food scientist responsible for rebirth of the California wine industry after prohibition was born in 1886.  He is also credited with creating the formula for fruit cocktail.

August 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.

• George Canning, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, died in 1827.  He was born in Londonerry, Ireland, the son of a failed wine merchant and lawyer.
• Baron James de Rothschild acquired the Chateau Lafite in 1868.
• Salvador Dalí re-married Elena Ivanovna Diakonova, better known as Gala in a Catholic ceremony in 1958.  They were married in a civil ceremony in 1934. He later created a wine book, The Wines of Gala, as well as a cookbook, The Dinners of Gala in her honor.
• New Jersey's Warren Hills AVA was designated in 1988.
• It is the feast day of  Saint Cyriacus.  He is a patron saint of viticulture and is also known as one of the 14 holy helpers.

August 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.

• Pope John XXII was elected in 1316. Under his reign wines around Avignon, France began to be referred to as "Vin du Pape”.
• Mata Hari the Dutch courtesan, dancer and spy was born in 1876.  While she was awaiting execution she was brought a steady supply of champagne and meals from nearby restaurants.
• The Wine and Spirit Bulletin of 1908 has an announcement of the Marriage of Lee Mida of Mida’s Criterion was married to Miss Louise Henrietta Gueth.
• Ohio was re-admitted to the Union in 1953.  When it was first admitted to the Union in 1803, a formal resolution of Congress was not required.  That was fixed in 1953.  Ohio is home to the Grand River Valley, Isle St. George, Lake Erie, Loramie Creek and Ohio River Valley.

August 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.

• Ben Jonson, the English poet died in 1637.  After the death of Henry IV of France, Jonson decided to re-join the Church of England and showed his renunciation of the Catholic faith by drinking a full chalice of Communion wine which at the time was supposed to only be drunk by the priests.
• Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Valazquez died in 1660.  He was a Spanish painter known for The Triumph of Bacchus or The Drunks.
• The Aramon Red was deemed, “A good, bright wine, with a pleasant and agreeable bouquet and flavor in 1889.  The wine was made at the J.T. Doyle Experimental Plot in Cupertino.
• The Colli Albani DOC and Marino DOC were created in 1970.  These wines come from Alban hills outside of Rome in Lazio.

August 5th - 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.

• Guillaume Du Fay, the Franco- Flemish Renaissance composer was born in 1397.  He is noted as the Canon of Cambrai in documentation when he received 36 lots of wine for the feast of St. John the Evangelist.
• Pierre-François Bouchard died in 1822.  He was known for discovering the Rosetta Stone.  It contains records from Ptolemy V including donations of wine to temples and vineyard harvests.
• The Sannio DOC was named in 1997.  The region, in Campania produces red, white, rose and sparkling wine from Aglianisco, Barbera, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, Fiano, Greco, Moscato, Piedirosso, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso and Trebbiano.
• Happy International Albariño Days!

August 4th - 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 Hotel-Dieu de Beaune was founded by Nicolas Rolin in 1443. The vineyards of the Hospices de Beaune have supported the Hotel-Dieu for centuries. 
• Dom Pérignon makes the first champagne in 1693 (or discovers he did).
• In his speech to the Thirtieth Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association for 1862, John Higginbottom, Esq., F.R.S., Nottingham relays that he had used wine and brandy to treat a post partum hemorrhage in a case dated in 1860.  He later decided liquor was not part of what he considered “best practices”. 
• Jeanne Calment, the French supercentenarian who lived to 122 years, 164 days died in 1997.  She was known to smoke a cigar or cigarette and drink a small glass of Port everyday from ages 111-114.
• The Galluccio DOC was established in 1997.  It comes from the Italian province of Caserta and can be made with Falanghina or Aglianico.
• Happy International Albariño Days!
• Happy National White Wine Day.
• Happy Mead Day.

August 3rd - 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 Siege of Algeciras, during the Reconquista began in 1342.  The victor, Alfonso XI prepared for the seige by taxing expanding the Alcabala tax from bread, wine, fish and clothing to all goods.
• Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known most often as just Colette died in 1954.  Many of her books describe food and wine including Gigi and the Claudine stories including how to taste wine and eat ortolan.
• Sant'Agata dei Goti DOC was named in 1993.  These Italian wines come from Campania and are made of Aglianico and Piedirosso grapes.
• Spain's Montsant DO was created in 2002  These Spanish wines come from Catalonia and are made of Chardonnay, White Grenache, Macabeo, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Parellada, and Xarel·lo. The authorized red varieties are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Grenache, 'Hairy' Grenache, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Red Picapoll, Syrah and Tempranillo.
• Happy International Albariño Days!

August 2nd - 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.

• Louis François, Prince of Conti died in 1776.  He purchased the Burgundy vineyard, La Romanée in 1760.  It has been known as Romanée-Conti ever since.
• In 1817, Thomas Jefferson, writing from Monticello wrote about the purchase of wine from Mr. Walltone.
• The Guardia Sanframondi or Guardiolo DOC was established in 1993.  The wines are made of Malvasia Bianca di Candia and Sangiovese
• Spain's Yecla DO was created in 2002.  Grapes allowed to be used in this region include: Airen, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Garnacha tinta, Garnacha Tintorera, Macabeo, Malvasia, Merlot, Merseguera, Monastrell, Syrah and Tempranillo.
• Happy International Albariño Days!

August 1st - 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 of Aquitaine became Queen of France in 1137.  Her dowry included Aquitaine including the vineyards or Bordeaux, which remained hers through the marriage and afterwards.
• Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland died in 1714.  A political opponent once wrote of a statue of her, “it was fitting she was depicted with her rump to the church, gazing longingly into a wineshop”.
• Colorado was admitted to the union in 1876.  It is home to  the Grand Valley and West Elks viticultural areas.
• Germany's Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) is renamed Prädikatswein in 2007.
• There is an old French saying “S’il pleut le jour de la Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens, la vinée réduit du tiers,” or approximately “If it rains on the Festival of the Liberation of Saint Peter, the wine will be reduced by a third”.

July 31st - 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.

• Daniel Defoe was pillories for the crime of seditious libel in 1703, but was pelted with flowers.  He often supported himself by working as a merchant of wine, hosiery and woolen goods.
• The Bourgueil AOC was created in 1937.  The area is located in the Loire and uses the Cabernet Franc grape.
• The Aversa DOC was created in 1993.  The wine is made in Campania about 3 miles north of Naples an is made from Asprinio grape.
• The Rosso Orvietano DOC was established in 1998.  This red wine can be made from many red grape varietals so long as they contain at least 70% of Aleatico, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sangiovese.
• Spain's Rueda DO was created in 2002.  These wines come from 72 communities in Castile and Leon and made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, Verdejo and Viura.
• It is the feast of St. Germain d’Auxerre. There is a French saying, “S’il pleut à la Saint-Germain, c’est comme s’il pleuvait du vin”or (more or less) “Rain on Saint Germain’s day is like it’s raining wine”.