November 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.

• Julian was named Caesar of the Western Provinces in 355.  He later tried to conquer the Persians but was injured.  He died as a result of having his wound irrigated with “dark wine”.
• The Synod of Rome was called by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I in 962.  During this Synod, Otto deposes Pope John XII on the grounds that he was depraved and worldly (and incited rebellion against the Emperor).  Witnesses claimed that the Pontiff had toasted the devil with wine.
• The French Bonnezeaux AOC was created in 1951.

October 30th - 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.

• Julia Augusti filia, known as Julia the Elder, was born in 39 BC.  She was daughter of Caesar Augustus, but after she was accused of adultery, she was exiled from Rome instead of being executed.  She was sent to the island of Pandateria with no men in sight and was even forbidden to drink wine.
• Danish Prince Vilhelm arrives in Athens in 1863 and ascends the throne as Geoge I, King of the Hellenes.  At the Palace of Tatoi, the king grew his own grapes and made his own wine Chateau Décélie.
• The Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG designation was established in 1979.

October 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.

• Titus Flavius Domitianus, Roman Emperor known as Domitian, who banned planting of vineyards in order to increase grain production in the Empire was born in 51 CE.
• Cotes-de-Provence AOC was created in 1977.
• California's Alexander Valley AVA was designated in 1984.
• California's Central Coast AVA was designated in 1985.
• The Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC classification was created in 1995.
• The French have a saying, « Quand arrive la Saint-Magloire, vigneron sait ce qu'il peut boire. » or "When the Saint-Magloire arrives, the winemaker knows what he can drink. "

October 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.

• Meditrinalia, the Roman festival of the new wine was celebrated.
• In 1794 this would be the 20th day of the Vendémiaire month on the French Revolutionary Calendar. This day was represented by the Pressoir, or wine press. The month was the grape harvesting month.
• Thomas Jefferson exchanged correspondence with William Jarvis regarding a shipment of wine from Portugal in 1805.

October 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.

• The Roman Senate bans the Bacchanalian rites with the Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus in 186 BCE.
• ‘Sherry’ by the 4 Seasons was #1 on the charts.
• The National Wine Centre of Australia opened in 2001.
• The Bonnezeaux and Coteaux-de-l'Aubance AOC were revised in 2003.

September 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.

• Titus Flavius Domitianus, Roman Emperor, known as Domitian, who banned planting of vineyards in order to increase grain production in the Empire was executed in 96 CE.
• Philip II sometimes known as Philip Augustus was crowned in 1180.  He was known for holding the Battle of the Wines.
• Vinho do Dão becomes a protected DOC in Portugal in 1908.
• Vinho Verde becomes a protected DO in Portugal in 1908.
• Happy California Wine Month!

August 27th - 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 Volturnalia was celebrated. dedicated to Volturnus, god of the waters and fountains is celebrated with feasting and wine drinking at the pools near the temple of Vesta.
• The Internal Revenue Record and Customs Journal issues an opinion on the duty regarding the importation of glass wine bottles known as brown hocks. in 1872.
• Eric Burdon & War’s song, ‘Spill The Wine’ hit number 1 on the charts in 1970.

August 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.

• Pliny the Elder 1st century AD naturalist and author of the Roman encyclopedia Naturalis Historia (Natural History) that discusses viticulture methods, died in A.D. 79.
• Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular reports that the ship Powhatan left the Port of Genoa for New York City in 1887 loaded with wine.
• It is the feast day of St. Louis IX.  He is a patron saint of distillers.

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.
• Edmond James de Rothschild, father of the modern Israeli wine industry was born in 1845.
• Juneta 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 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 singlemeal.  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".
• Eddie Barlow, South African cricketer was born in 1940.  In his retirement he bought a vineyard named Windfall.

July 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.

• Eleanor of Aquitaine married Prince Louis who would later be crown Louis VII of France at the Cathedral of Saint-André in Bordeaux i.n 1137 Bordeaux and all its wines were hers.
• Listed among the expenses for Princess Mary in 1540 was "Itm to the gentylmen of the king's chapell for to drinkt w a bucke 40s”
• It is the feast day of St. Cucuphas.  He was martyred by the Romans who tried to kill him by roasting him with vinegar and pepper.  Eventually, they cut his throat.  

June 26th - 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.

• Roman Emperor Julian was wounded in 363 during the Battle of Sammara.  He was treated by his physician who treated the wound with dark wine.  He died 3 days later.
• Louis Bignon, French chef and agriculturist and Legion of Honour recipient was born in 1816.  He was known for the high quality of wine in his restaurant as well as investing in research on the phylloxera.
• The Moscato di Siracusa DOC was created in 1973 
• The Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC, the Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC and the Rosso di Cerignola DOC were established in 1974
• The Tokay Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape and the Upper Middle Rhine Valley were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002

June 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.

• The Roman Emperor Julian having brought his fleet of soldiers down the Tigris River to defeat the Persians burned his ships in 363.  This was a very bad idea. 10 days later he was speared in his abdomen which damaged his liver, peritoneum and intestines.  He was treated with stitches and the irrigation of the would with “dark wine” but he died.
• Ignatius Sancho, the first African man to vote in a British Parliamentary election or to be given an obituary in the British Press writes a thank you note to a friend, IS esq. thanking him for the gift of a fine bottle of wine in 1779. 
• The Australian Geographical Indication "Murray Darling" was registered in 1997.

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.

• “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. 

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.

March 16th - This Date in Wine History

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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.

• Traditional date for Bacchanlia.
• The Medical Times and Gazette describes a new French patent medicine made of quinine, cacao and iron mixed with Malaga wine as a tonic for blighted children.

February 11th - This Date in Wine History

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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.

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• Emperor Claudius’ heir Britannicus is thought to have been poisoned by Nero in AD 55 by poisoning the water used to cool Britannicus’ wine.  The water had been previously tasted and found safe.
• The term Eiswin was coined on this day in 1830 to describe the wines of the 1829 harvest in Bingen-Dromersheim. 
• Seyssel AOC was named in 1942.