March 30th - This Date in Wine History

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Sicilian Vespers

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 rebellion know as the Sicilian Vespers began in 1282.  The rebellion against the Angevin King Charles I started when French officials joinedlocals at Palermo’s Church of the Holy Spirit to celebrate Easter and began to drink. A French soldier dragged a local (married) woman from the crowd and began pestering her.  Her husband then killed the dude and all hell broke out.  The trouble started at vespers or sunset.
  • Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula AVA was designated in 1982.
  • Tom Angove, inventor of the wine cask (aka bag in a box) died in 2010.