December 22nd - 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.

  • The British House of Lords voted in 1660 on an addition to a rule about wine licenses to prevent the mixing of wines to vitiate (adulterate) them.
  • 212 wine pipes (a pipe is equal to 126 gallons) were imported into Liverpool between December 22 1812 and January 22, 1813, per the publication, The Tradesman.
  • A series of letters, the last of which was dated in 1872, William W. Belknap, Secretary of War discusses the reasons that the trading post at Fort Sill (Oklahoma) had excess supplies of wine, ale, porter.  Secretary Belknap was satisfied with the explanations given.  As it turns out it was because he was getting kick-backs from the post. (ironically the Comanche own a casino near the Fort, where they sell alcohol to the soldiers)
  • Texas' Texas Hill Country AVA was designated in 1988.