February 26 - 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.

  • Samuel Pepys drank a draft of wormwood wine with Sir William Batten at the Steelyard in 1662.

  • Musician Jonathan Cain was born in 1950. He is owner of Finale Wines in Sonoma County.

  • California's Fair Play AVA was designated in 2001.

  • Oregon and Washington's Walla Walla Valley AVA was designated in 2001.

February 26th - 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. 

  • Samuel Pepys drank a draft of wormwood wine with Sir William Batten at the Steelyard in 1662.
  • Musician Jonathan Cain was born in 1950. He is owner of Finale Wines in Sonoma County.
  • California's Fair Play AVA was designated in 2001.
  • Oregon and Washington's Walla Walla Valley AVA (shown above) was designated in 2001.

Fair Play - Wine Region of the Day

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Fair Play

Fair Play received its designation as an AVA in 2001. Situated on 23,198 acres, Fair Play is a sub-appellation of the El Dorado AVA. Centered on the town of Placerville, Fair Play's growing regions sit at 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level. Soils in the region are largely loam based and well draining. The climate in Fair Play features warm days followed by cold nights. The altitude allows the vines extra hours of sunshine and warm temperatures during the day, but also allows them to cool down at night. This diurnal cycle keeps the grapes from ripening too quickly and allows for the wines to develop their balanced acidity and tannin structure. The region is known for its production of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Sierra Foothills - Wine Region of the Day

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Sierra Foothills

The Sierra Foothills received their designation as an AVA in 1987. Situated on 2,600,000 acres, The Sierra Foothills includes sub-appellations California Shenandoah Valley, El Dorado, Fair Play, Fiddletown, and North Yuba. The Sierra Foothills features a mostly volcanic soil structure, but also has regions of loam and alluvial fans. The climate in the region is Mediterranean due to the warm days and cooler evenings. The region is famous for first being settled during the California gold rush, with vines of Zinfandel being planted soon thereafter. Prohibition devastated the region's wine growing efforts, but many of the vines were just abandoned in place instead of destroyed. Many of these vines still survive today, giving the Sierra Foothills some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in the country.

February 26th - 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.

  • Musician Jonathan Cain was born in 1950. He is owner of delaCain Vineyards in Sonoma County.
  • California's Fair Play AVA was designated in 2001.
  • Oregon and Washington's Walla Walla Valley AVA was designated in 2001.

Fair Play - Wine Region of the Day

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Photo of the Fair Play by David Toomey for Qorkz.

Fair Play received its designation as an AVA in 2001. Situated on 23,198 acres, Fair Play is a sub-appellation of the El Dorado AVA. Centered on the town of Placerville, Fair Play's growing regions sit at 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level. Soils in the region are largely loam based and well draining. The climate in Fair Play features warm days followed by cold nights. The altitude allows the vines extra hours of sunshine and warm temperatures during the day, but also allows them to cool down at night. This diurnal cycle keeps the grapes from ripening too quickly and allows for the wines to develop their balanced acidity and tannin structure. The region is known for its production of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

Fair Play - Wine Region Of The Day

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Fair Play 

Fair Play received its designation as an AVA in 2001. Situated on 23,198 acres, Fair Play is a sub-appellation of the El Dorado AVA. Centered on the town of Placerville, Fair Play's growing regions sit at 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level. Soils in the region are largely loam based and well draining. The climate in Fair Play features warm days followed by cold nights. The altitude allows the vines extra hours of sunshine and warm temperatures during the day, but also allows them to cool down at night. This diurnal cycle keeps the grapes from ripening too quickly and allows for the wines to develop their balanced acidity and tannin structure. The region is known for its production of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.