October 28th - This Date in Wine History

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Mademoiselle_de_Beaumont_or_The_Chevalier_D'Eon_LCCN2006685290.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.

  • Samuel Pepys reported in his diary that today in 1666 that he went to visit his mistress, Mrs. Martin and brought her and her friends the widow Burroughs and Doll a bottle of wine and “did tumble them all the afternoon as I pleased”.
  • In 1764, the Count de Guerchy tried to poison the Chevalier d'Eon by poisoning his wine with opium. The Chevalier was a French diplomat, spy, soldier and Freemason who lived the first half of her life as a man and the second half as a woman.
  • Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the Volstead Act was overridden in 1919.  Volstead Act prohibited the sale and consumption of Alcoholic beverages (BOOO).