March 24th - This Date in Wine History

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.

• James VI of Scotland became James I of England and Ireland after the death of Elizabeth I in 1603.  Later in his reign James suffered from arthritis, gout and kidney stones and was described as having urine, “dark red color of Alicante wine”. (That ain’t right)

• Pieter de Hooch, a Dutch painter died in 1684.  He is known for “A Woman Drinking with Two Men” and “A Woman and Two Men in an Arbor”.

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow died in 1882.  An American poet and educator, he is the author of “Ode to Catawba Wine”.

• The Coteaux-Varois AOC was created in 1993.  The primary grapes are Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Mourvédre, Syrah and Carignan.

• The Cour-Cheverny AOC was created in 1993. The only grape allowed for this wine is Romorantin.

June 27th - This Date in Wine History

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.

• Charles II of Navarre, known as Charles the Bad was crowned in 1350.  At the end of his life he was so decrepit that his doctor order him wrapped like a mummy in linen soaked in brandy (aqua vitae).  A maid dropped a candle and WHOOSH! This was seen as a sign of God’s justice.
• Maximilian, Prince of Dietrichstein was born in 1596.  In 1643 he placed 2,000 barrels of wine at Nikolsburg Castle.
• The American brig, Friendship  that was laden with wine and salt from Cadiz to Charlestown was taken by Captain Hope of the Kent in 1800.
• Diethylene glycol was discovered in a bottle of 1983 Rüster Auslese from a Stuttgart supermarket in 1985.
• Ycoden-Daute-Isora DO was created in 1994.

April 29th - This Date in Wine History

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.

• Blanche of Burgundy, Countess of la Marche and briefly the uncrowned queen of France and Navarre died in 1326.  She and her sisters were accused of scandalous behavior such as drinking wine with knights and eventually of adultery.  For this crime she was imprisoned in the donjon of Chateau Gaillaird for 8 years until she granted her husband an annulment.
• John Adlum who is often considered the father or American viticulture and promoter and possible developer of the Catawba grape was born in 1759.
• Pierre-François Bouchard was born in 1771..  He was known for discovering the Rosetta Stone.  It contains records from Ptolemy V including donations of wine to temples and vineyard harvests.
• William Pitt proposed taxing wine in a letter to the Duke of Rutland in 1786.

April 11th - This Date in Wine History

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. 

• George Canning, British statesman and son of a failed Irish wine merchant was born in 1770. 
• Percy Lavon Julian, an American chemist was born in 1899.  A former colleague from Howard University and released letters that Julian had sent him from Vienna which covered subjects such as wine, pretty Viennese women, music and chemical experiments.
• Ivor Spencer-Thomas inventor of “FizzIt” which turned still wine into sparkling was born in 1907
• Thomas Harris, creator of the character Hannibal Lecter best for know for eating  a census taker’s liver with a big Amarone was born in 1940.

October 9th - This Date in Wine History

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.

• In a letter dated 1515, Leonardo di Vinci complains to his steward, Zanobi Boni about the quality of the wines being produced on his estate and includes specific instructions regarding the fertilization of the grapes and the production of the wine.
• David Lett founder of Eyerie Vineyards died in 2008.
• Today is Leif Erikson Day.  Erikson is thought to have discovered America in 1000.  During his travels he discovered a place called Vinland which had grapes which made delicious wine.
• The French have a saying, « Entre Saint-Michel (29 septembre) et Saint-François, prends ta vendange telle qu'elle est, à Saint-Denis, prends-la si elle y est encore. » or "Between Saint-Michel ( September 29 ) and Saint-François, take your vintage as it is, in Saint-Denis, take it if it is still there. "