May 19th - 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.

  • Alcuin scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria and first known wine writer died in 804.
  • Spain's Almansa DO was created in 1975.
  • Spain's Ampurdán-Costa Brava DO was created in 1975.  It is now called Ampurdán or Empordà.
  • Spain's Priorato DO was created in 1975.
  • The Bianco Capena DOC was created in 1975.
  • The Savuto DOC was created in 1975.
  • California's Seiad Valley AVA was designated in 1994.
  • Thomas Harris' Novel, The Silence of the Lambs was published in 1999. In the novel Hannibal Lector describes eating the census taker's liver with fava beans and a big Amarone... Not the Chianti mentioned in the movie.  Another change is that the movie used the death’s-head Hawkmoth instead of the Black Witch moth.