April 12th - This Date in Wine History

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Samuel Johnson

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.

  • Per Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, Johnson had dinner with Boswell at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in 1776 with Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Langton, Lord Dunsinan and Sir William Forbes where they discussed the nature of wine and wit, JOHNSON. 'No, Sir: before dinner men meet with great inequality of understanding; and those who are conscious of their inferiority, have the modesty not to talk. When they have drunk wine, every man feels himself happy, and loses that modesty, and grows impudent and vociferous: but he is not improved; he is only not sensible of his defects.' 
  • The Saturday Review of April 12, 1862 contains an ad for James L. Denman, Wine Merchant of 65 Fenchurch Street, London.
  • União Vinícola Regional de Carcavelos was created in 1934.