November 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.

• In 397 St. Martin of Tours died in Candes-Saint-Martin.  St. Martin is the patrol saint of vintners, wine growers and winemakers.

• Baeda Maryam I, emperor of Ethiopia died in 1478.  After defeating the Dobe’a people, he declared that they should become cultivators as opposed to bandits and planted orange and lemon trees and vineyards as well as distributing bread, beer and honey wine.

• Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern and later Queen of Prussia was born in 1715.  In his will, Frederick II of Prussia left her her normal income, plus 10,000 Thalers annually, wine, fire-wood, game and residence at the royal palace of her choice.

• A report out of Epernay, France dated 1889 in Bonfort’s Wine & Spirit Journal indicates a rush to purchase the new champagnes.

• California's Tracy Hills AVA was designated in 2006.

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.