August 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.

• George Canning, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, died in 1827.  He was born in Londonerry, Ireland, the son of a failed wine merchant and lawyer.
• Baron James de Rothschild acquired the Chateau Lafite in 1868.
• Salvador Dalí re-married Elena Ivanovna Diakonova, better known as Gala in a Catholic ceremony in 1958.  They were married in a civil ceremony in 1934. He later created a wine book, The Wines of Gala, as well as a cookbook, The Dinners of Gala in her honor.
• New Jersey's Warren Hills AVA was designated in 1988.
• It is the feast day of  Saint Cyriacus.  He is a patron saint of viticulture and is also known as one of the 14 holy helpers.

November 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.

• A truce between John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and Louis of Valois, Duke of Orleans was agreed to in 1407.  It lasted 3 whole days before Burgundy assassinated Orleans.
• Robert Baddeley died in 1794, bequeathing £3 per annum to provide wine and cake in the green-room of Drury Lane theatre on Twelfth Night. The ceremony of the Baddeley cake has remained a regular institution.

July 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.

• Nikephoros I of the Byzantine Empire was killed in 811 at the battle of Pliska.  His skull was turned into a wine cup for his vanquisher. 
• Mary Frith, also known as Moll Cutpurse died in 1659.  She was once required to do penance for her “evil living” at St. Paul’s Cross and she was observed as being very penitent weeping bitterly.  However, it was also reported that she ‘maudlin drunk’ having drunkmost of a bottle of sack (sherry).
• Spain's Navarra DO was created in 1975.

June 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.

• The Gentlemen’s Magazine of 1803 describes the Duke of Bedford’s wedding to Lady Georgiana Gordon including a description of the wedding favors (white and silver) and wine and cake at the reception.
• In a letter dated June 23, 1808, Martha Jefferson Randolph complaining about amount of wine available in the wine cellar and that Monticello had exhausted its supply of Madeira
• Russian poet Anna Akhmatova was born in 1889.  She wrote:

A land not mine, still
forever memorable,
the waters of its ocean
chill and fresh.

Sand on the bottom whiter than chalk,
and the air drunk, like wine,
late sun lays bare
the rosy limbs of the pinetrees.

Sunset in the ethereal waves:
I cannot tell if the day
is ending, or the world, or if
the secret of secrets is inside me again.

“”
A land not mine, 1964

June 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 Records of Lloyd’s Coffee House for 1710 indicate that the clarets from the ship, Marquis de Berniere were advertised in the Tatler and bought by Thos. Tomkins, broker.
• The Niles Weekly Register for 1833 discusses the Parliamentary arguments for new wine tariffs between Lord Ellenborugh, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Aukland (seen above) and the Earl of Ripon.
• California's Diablo Grande AVA was designated in 1998.

January 31st - This Date in Wine History

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Masthead of the Boston Gazette

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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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• The Boston Gazette in 1737 advertised that James Bowdoin had the richest good Canary wines for sale at 8 Shillings per gallon.
• Celebrating the conclusion of the American Revolution, William Ross, an Innkeeper in Lancaster, PA, hosted a party for 100, including General Mifflin, which included a cold collation, wine, punch and sweet cakes. The party lasted until 4 am on February 1st.
• The Economist reported that the UK imported 1,338,535 gallons of wine in the month ending January 31, 1875.