May 8th - 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.

  • The Battle of Jinyang ended in 453 BC.  The victorious Zhao Xiangzi executed his opponent Zhi Yao and made his skull a wine cup.
  • Bertalan Székely was born in 1838.  A Hungarian painter, he created an image of the Székely Blood Oath where the leaders 7 Hungarian tribes spill some of their blood into a chalice of wine and drink it to establish a bond.
  • Washington Post wine columnist and James Beard Award winner, Karen A. Page was born in 1962.
  • Actor, Stephen Amell was born in 1981.  He is known for portraying the Green Arrow on the TV show Arrow.  He is co-owner of Nocking Point Wine in Walla Walla, Washington.
  • California's Clear Lake AVA was designated in 1984.