March 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. 

• The Illinois General Assembly created rules requiring every county to regulate weights and measures including for a wine measure.
• George W. Roosevelt, the US Ambassador to France reports on new French laws about the adulteration of wines in 1883.
• Viticulture Committee of the Region of Vinho Verde was created in 1929.
• Franklin Roosevelt signed The Cullen-Harrison Act to amend the Volstead Act that allowed the sale and taxation of low alcohol beers and wines in 1933.
• Happy National Ag Week. Remember, without ag, there is no wine!

March 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. 

• In the History of the 4th Battalion Norfolk Regiment:(late East Norfolk Militia) includes lists of bets among the officers including one: Dated March 14, 1813 from Limerick that Mr. Love bets Mr. Steele a bottle of wine that the place at which the Major commanded the left wing to fire with their arms shouldered was Mallow.  To be paid when decided.  This bet was lost by Mr. Steele.
• John Adlum, an American viticulturist famous for cultivating Catawba died in 1836.  His residence, named “The Vineyard” was located in Georgetown in the District of Columbia.
• English writer, wine-merchant and Master of Wine, Pat Simon was born in 1920.
• Spain's Valdepeñas DO was created in 1995.

March 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. 

• Sviatoslav I of Kiev died in March of 972.  The date is unknown.  This is unusual for this calendar but his story was too good not to tell.  He was killed by Pecheneg Khan Kurya who turned his skull into a drinking cup. Kurya and his wife drank from the skull and prayed for a son as brave as the cup’s owner.  
• Ohio was admitted to the Union in 1803.  It is home to the Grand River Valley, Isle St. George, Lake Erie, Loramie Creek and Ohio River Valley.
• John Adlum who is considered the father of American viticulture and promoter and possible developer of the Catawba grape died in 1836.  He also the owner of a farm called, The Vineyard in Georgetown.
• Nebraska was admitted to the union in 1867.  It has been home to bonded wineries since 1994.
• The Alsace AOC was established in 1984.
• It is Baba Marta Day in Bulgaria.  She is the wife or sister of January and February (represented as long-horned beetles) who is angry with them because they are drunk on wine.  Her anger is represented by the breaking of the weather and return of Spring.
• The French have a saying, « Qui taille sa vigne à la Saint-Aubin, aura de gros raisins. » or “He who prunes his vines on St. Aubin’s day will get big grapes”.

February 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.

• In 1468 Johannes Gutenberg died. He invented the method of printing from moveable type. One of the important innovations in his method was a new press, similar to the screw presses used in winemaking.
• Samuel Pepys reports in his diary that he went out with this cousin Roger to Priors, a Rhenish wine-house and had a “pint or two of wine and a dish of anchovies in1660.
• Woodrow Wilson died in 1924.  He was President at the beginning of Prohibition, which restricted the SALE of alcohol but not the consumption.  At the end of his term as president, Wilson had his wine collection moved to his new residence.
• The father of Washington State wines, Dr. Walter J. Clore died this day in 2003.

January 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.

• Enoch L. Johnson was born in 1883.  He was an Atlantic City political and crime boss who was quoted as saying, “We have whisky, wine, women, song and slot machines. I won't deny it and I won't apologize for it. If the majority of the people didn't want them they wouldn't be profitable and they would not exist. The fact that they do exist proves to me that the people want them.”  He was fictionalized in Boardwalk Empire as the character, Nucky Thompson.
• Baron Philippe de Rothschild died in 1988.
• California's San Francisco Bay AVA was designated in 1999.
• The owner of Trump Winery, Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States in 2017.

December 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.

• The British House of Lords voted in 1660 on an addition to a rule about wine licenses to prevent the mixing of wines to vitiate (adulterate) them.
• 212 wine pipes (a pipe is equal to 126 gallons) were imported into Liverpool between December 22 1812 and January 22, 1813, per the publication, The Tradesman.
• A series of letters, the last of which was dated in 1872, William W. Belknap, Secretary of War discusses the reasons that the trading post at Fort Sill (Oklahoma) had excess supplies of wine, ale, porter.  Secretary Belknap was satisfied with the explanations given.  As it turns out it was because he was getting kick-backs from the post. (ironically the Comanche own a casino near the Fort, where they sell alcohol to the soldiers)
• Texas' Texas Hill Country AVA was designated in 1988.

October 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 1884, the California Agricultural Experiment Station crushed Trousseau grapes grown by William Pfeffer of Gubserville.
• The U.S. Department of Treasury determines that Vermouth which previously had be taxed as a cordial will now be taxed as a wine under the act of 1914.
• The Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato DOC was created in 1987.
• Sideways, starring Thomas Haden Church and Paul Giametti opened in 2004.

September 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.

• The city council of Baza, Spain in 1521 banned the sale of wine in taverns to prevent drunkenness.
• G.H. Mumm filed an application for a trademark in 1876.
• The Australian Geographical Indication "McLaren Vale" was registered in 1997
• Happy California Wine Month!

August 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.

• Robert Walpole, The Earl of Orford and Prime Minister of Great Britain was born in 1676.  He proposed that the tariff on wine and tobacco be replaced by an excise tax.  Revenues had fallen due to smuggling.
• Percy T. Morgan of the California Wine Association sent a telegraphic dispatch to John W. Yerkes, Commissioner of Internal Revenue to complain about the regulations on fortified sweet wine.
• The Coteaux-du-LoirAOC was named in 1946. It is located in Sarthe and Indre-et-Loire and uses mainly the Chenin Blanc and Pineau d’Aunis.