March 9th - This Date in Wine History

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Leland_Stanford_Winery.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. 

  • Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy was born in 1213.  He gave up the Barony of Salon for the counties of Chalon and Auxonne to expand the Duchy which improved the wine trade in the region.  
  • Amasa Leland Stanford was born in 1824.  He was a tycoon, industrialist, politician and founder of Stanford University.    He also owned two wineries, the Leland Stanford Winery in Alameda County and the Great Vina Ranch in Tehama County.  
  • The Franco-American Cookery book; or How to live well and wisely by Felix J. Déliée in his menu for Friday, March 9th  includes a recipe for Baked Cod with Smelts that includes cod, chopped only, parsley, salt, pepper half a pint of white wine and water, topped with butter, flour bread crumbs smelt and lemon. The book was published in 1907.
  • Spain’s Cigales DO was created in 1991.
  • The Snake River Valley AVA was designated in 2007. Evil Knievel jumped a canyon over the Snake River in 1974.