December 1st - 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.

  • Sir Francis Walsingham was knighted in 1577.  Personal Secretary and Spymaster to Queen Elizabeth I, he was married to the Lord Mayor of London’s daughter Mary who was the widow of a wine merchant.

  • A Report to the Superintendent of the Census for December 1, 1852 includes a history of viticulture from colonial days to the mid-19th century.

  • Oregon's Willamette Valley AVA was designated in 1983.

  • Spain’s Ribera del Duero DO was established in 1992.

  • It is the feast day of St. Airy of Verdun.  As Bishop of Verdun, he received a visit from Childebert II and a feast was held.  The King’s warriors drank so much that they were in danger of running out of wine.  St. Airy had the last barrel brought out and prayed over it and the wine flowed continuously and was of much better quality.