May 31st - 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.

  • Samuel Pepys makes his last diary entry in 1669.  Over the 9+ years that he kept this journal, Pepys writes about his work, his life and what he ate and drank.  In true Pepys fashion, the journal’s last entry describes his day which included a trip to the World’s End, a public house in Knightsbridge for drinks.
  • Walt Whitman was born in 1819.  He began his life as a follower of the temperance movement, even writing books about the consequences of drunkenness.  In his later years he enjoyed local wines and champagne.
  • Italy’s Melissa DOC was created in 1979.
  • California's Sta. Rita Hills AVA was designated in 2001.
  • Happy English Wine Week!