February 2nd - 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.
- "Wein, Weib und Gesang" ("Wine, Women and Song"), Op.333 by Johann Strauss II was performed for the first time in 1869.
- In 1659, Jan van Riebeeck, the founder of Cape Town, produced the first known wine in South Africa.
- Spain's Méntrida DO and Ribeiro DO was created in 1976.
- New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA was designated in 1988.