March 18th - This Date in Wine History

/
Carl_Doerr_Weinlese_in_der_Gegend_von_Heilbronn.jpg

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 died in 1745.  He proposed that the tariff on wine and tobacco be replaced by an excise tax.  Revenues had fallen due to smuggling.
  • Ernest Gallo was born in 1909.
  • George I, King of the Hellenes was assassinated in Thessaloniki in 1913.  The king grew his own grapes for wine, Chateau Décélie.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Mount Benson" was registered in 1997.
  • Fess Parker, film and tv actor and winemaker died in 2010.
  • Happy Ag Appreciation Week  Remember, without ag, there is no wine!

October 22nd - This Date in Wine History

/
Bastardo_Trousseau.jpg

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.

October 14th- This Date in Wine History

/
James_II_by_Peter_Lely.jpg

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.

  • James II of England was born in 1633.  During the reign of his brother, Charles II, James held the office of Lord High Admiral which along with revenue from the post office and wine tariffs allowed him to keep a sizable household at his brother’s court.
  • The founder of the Constantia Winery, Simon van der Stel was born in 1639. The City of Stellenbosch is named for him.
  • California's Dos Rios AVA was designated in 2005.

August 27th - This Date in Wine History

/
WarOriginalLineup_01.jpg

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 Roman festival of Volturnalia was celebrated. dedicated to Volturnus, god of the waters and fountains is celebrated with feasting and wine drinking at the pools near the temple of Vesta.
  • The Internal Revenue Record and Customs Journal issues an opinion on the duty regarding the importation of glass wine bottles known as brown hocks. in 1872.
  • Eric Burdon & War’s song, ‘Spill The Wine’ hit number 1 on the charts in 1970.

August 26th - This Date in Wine History

/
IRS_Building.jpg

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.

April 29th - This Date in Wine History

/
John Adlum

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.

  • Blanche of Burgundy, Countess of la Marche and briefly the uncrowned queen of France and Navarre died in 1326.  She and her sisters were accused of scandalous behavior such as drinking wine with knights and eventually of adultery.  For this crime she was imprisoned in the donjon of Chateau Gaillaird for 8 years until she granted her husband an annulment.
  • John Adlum who is often considered the father or American viticulture and promoter and possible developer of the Catawba grape was born in 1759.
  • William Pitt proposed taxing wine in a letter to the Duke of Rutland in 1786

March 25th - 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.

  • Greece declared its independence from Turkey in 1821 freeing wine production from the onerous taxes of the Ottoman Turks .
  • French winemaker, Jean-Michel Cazes was born in 1935.
  • New York's Cayuga Lake AVA was designated in 1988.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Clare Valley" was registered in 1999.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Perricoota" was registered in 1999.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Adelaide Plains" was registered in 2002.