October 31st - This Date in Wine History
/Khan Krum of Bulgaria getting ready to drink wine from the skull of Nikephoros I
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 crowned in 802. His reign didn’t last long. He was killed in 811 and his skull became his conqueror’s wine cup.
- Christopher Columbus acknowledges a debt of 48 Genoese pounds for wine delivered to him and his father.
- Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany died in 1723. Among his accomplishments was the establishment of the Chianti wine region.