March 5th - 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.

  • The Roman Emperor Julian began the military campaign that led to his death when he moved his army from Antioch to the Sasanian Empire This was a very bad idea. He was speared in his abdomen which damaged his liver, peritoneum and intestines.  He was treated with stitches and the irrigation of the would with “dark wine” but he died.

  • Lisa Gherardini married Francesco del Gioconda in 1495. She was the daughter of a Chianti vineyard owner and later married Florentine silk merchant.  She was the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, The Mona Lisa.

  • Henry VI of England issued letters of patent to John Cabot for exploration.  The following year he landed in what is now known as Newfoundland in 1497.  He was the first European to to explore the region since the Vikings landed there and called it Vinland.

  • Frederick S. Cozzens publisher of Cozzens' Wine Press was born in 1818.

  • It is the feast day of Saint Ciarán of Saigir the first saint born in Ireland. Legend has it that he blessed a well that the tasted of wine and honey.

  • It is also the feast day of St. Thietmar of Minden (Bavaria).  He requested water from a servant who brought him wine.  After being brought wine several times by the same servant, he eventually followed the servant and watched as the water gathered by the servant transform into wine.

February 17th - 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.

  • In 1662, Samuel Pepys describes a dinner with Sir William Batten, Captain Cocke and Captain Tinker where he drank wine “upon necessity, being ill for want of it, and I find reason to fear that by my too sudden leaving off wine, I do contract many evils upon myself”.

  • Lola Montez, royal courtesan of Ludwig I of Bavaria, who's antics incited the people to rebellion by breaking a champagne glass over the head of a police officer was born in 1821. Despite her claims of being a Spanish dancer, She was in fact an Irish peasant born Eliza Rosanna Gilbert.

  • John Martin, English romantic painter, engraver and illustrator died in 1854.  His most famous work, Belshazzar’s Feast depict’s the feast held by the Babylonians that used the defiled sacred vessels of the Israelites for serving wine.

  • California's Chiles Valley AVA was designated in 1999.

January 17th - This Date in Wine History

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Roseline_et_son_père_Arnaud_de_Villeneuve,_tableau_de_l'église_Sainte-Roseline_de_Roquefort-la-Bédoule.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.

  • Saint Roseline de Villeneuve died in 1329.  Her shrine is now a winery in Provence.

  • Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy was born in 1342.  He outlawed the cultivation of the Gamay grape in favor of pinot noir. to improve the quality of Burgundy wines.

  • Lola Montez, royal courtesan of Ludwig I of Bavaria, who's antics incited the people to rebellion by breaking a champagne glass over the head of a police officer died in 1861. Despite her claims of being a Spanish dancer, she was in fact an Irish peasant.

  • It is the feast day of Saint Sulpice The Pious.  He was buried at a basilica in Navis near a number of vineyards.

October 12th - This Date in Wine History

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FtbergLudwigIandTherese.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.

  • King Belshazzar of Babylon offers his guests wine from goblets taken from the temple in Jerusalem as the city falls to Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE

  • The first Oktoberfest happened in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghhausen.  Tasting of wine and beer took place on the Theresienwiese.

  • The 1824 Reflections on the Works of God, and on his Providence by Christopher Christian Sturm describes wine as a “Present of the Divine Goodness, which should excite our warmest gratitude.”

  • Helena Modjeska was born in 1840.  She and a small group of Polish artists and aristocrats emigrated to Anaheim, California to create a colony based on Brooks Farm.  They grew muscat grapes which no one would buy but stole… The colony failed and Modjeska returned to the theater but created her home at Arden in Anaheim until 1906.

  • Bonforts Wine & Spirits Circular reports that it is anticipated that Champagne will produce a small yield for the 1888 vintage.  This is due a snow and heavy frost in October 1887.

March 5th - This Date in Wine History

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Leonardo_da_Vinci_Mona_Lisa.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. 

  • Lisa Gherardini married Francesco del Gioconda in 1495. She was the daughter of a Chianti vineyard owner and later married Florentine silk merchant.  She was the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, The Mona Lisa.
  • Frederick S. Cozzens publisher of Cozzens' Wine Press was born in 1818.
  • It is the feast day of Saint Ciarán of Saigir the first saint born in Ireland. Legend has it that he blessed a well that the tasted of wine and honey.
  • It is also the feast day of St. Thietmar of Minden (Bavaria).  He requested water from a servant who brought him wine.  After being brought wine several times by the same servant, he eventually followed the servant and watched as the water gathered by the servant transform into wine.

January 17th - This Date in Wine History

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Roseline_et_son_père_Arnaud_de_Villeneuve,_tableau_de_l'église_Sainte-Roseline_de_Roquefort-la-Bédoule.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.

  • Saint Roseline de Villeneuve died in 1329.  Her shrine is now a winery in Provence.
  • Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy was born in 1342.  He outlawed the cultivation of the Gamay grape in favor of pinot noir. to improve the quality of Burgundy wines.
  • Lola Montez, royal courtesan of Ludwig I of Bavaria, who's antics incited the people to rebellion by breaking a champagne glass over the head of a police officer died in 1861. Despite her claims of being a Spanish dancer, she was in fact an Irish peasant.
  • It is the feast day of Saint Sulpice The Pious.  He was buried at a basilica in Navis near a number of vineyards.

March 5th - This Date in Wine History

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Portrait_of_Frederick_Swartwout_Cozzens.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.

  • Frederick S. Cozzens publisher of Cozzens' Wine Press was born in 1818.  He is also known as a humorist.
  • It is the feast day of Saint Ciarán of Saigir the first saint born in Ireland. Legend has it that he blessed a well that the tasted of wine and honey.
  • It is also the feast day of St. Thietmar of Minden (Bavaria).  He requested water from a servant who brought him wine.  After being brought wine several times by the same servant, he eventually followed the servant and watched as the water gathered by the servant transform into wine.

March 2nd - 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.

  • St. Benedict of Nursia was born in 480.  He is the saint invoked against poison.  His monks tried to poison his wine and then his bread but he was saved by miracles.
  • Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, the future Pope Leo XIII was born in 1810.  He appeared in ads for Vin Mariani a wine and coca leaf tonic.
  • The Texas High Plains AVA was designated in 2003.

January 17th - This Date in Wine History

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Lola Montez by Joseph Karl Steiler

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.

  • Lola Montez, royal courtesan of Ludwig I of Bavaria, who's antics incited the people to rebellion by breaking a champagne glass over the head of a police officer died in 1861. Despite her claims of being a Spanish dancer, she was in fact an Irish peasant.
  • It is the feast day of Saint Sulpice.  He was buried at a basilica in Navis near a number of vineyards.