April 6th - 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.

• Richard I of England, known as “Cœur de Lion” died in 1199.  His wedding was celebrated with Commandaria, a wine originally made by the Knights Templar on Cyprus.

• Jan van Riebeeck established a supply camp near the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.  This would become Cape Town and van Riebeeck would plant the first vineyard there.

• The British Medical Journal for December 13, 1862 reports on the care Margaret McCaffrey by the physicians at Liverpool Northern Hospital as she suffered from double bronchopneumonia.  She was treated from January 1st 1862 until April 6th by several glasses of port wine with other medicines.  She recovered.

• Actress Candace Cameron Bure was born in 1976.  She is owner of Bure Family Wines in St. Helena, California. 

• Spain's Chacolí de Getaria-Getariako Txakolina DO was created in 1990.

April 5th - 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.

• Isabella I of Jerusalem died in 1205.  Isabella’s first marriage was celebrated despite the castle of Kerak being under siege.  Her mother-in-law sent Saladin bread, wine sheep and cattle to join in the celebration and Saladin ordered that the tower the new couple were celebrating their wedding night in should not be attacked.

• Thomas Cavendish found 300 tuns of Spanish wine buried in the sand in a bay near Valparaiso, Chilean in 1587.  Given that he was a privateer, might be an exaggeration.

• Barbizon School painter, Jules Dupré was born in 1811.  He is known mostly for landscapes, but also for Still Life with a Grey Jug.

• Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular dated 1887 states a ship named Fortuna left Oporto bound for NYC with a cargo of wine.

• Andre Tchelistcheff , the dean of American Winemakers died in 1994.

• Louis Latour, 10th generation president of Maison Louis Latour died in 2016 at the age of 83.

April 4th - 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.

• For circumnavigating the globe, Sir Francis Drake was knighted in 1581.  During the voyage he sacked the port of Valparaiso and captured a ship of Chilean wine.

• King Frederick II of Denmark and Norway died in 1588.  He was considered a typical Danish king and was a lover of hunting, wine, women and feasting.

• Robert Walpole, The Earl of Orford and Prime Minister of Great Britain becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1721.  He proposed that the tariff on wine and tobacco be replaced by an excise tax.  Revenues had fallen due to smuggling.

• Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular reports that the ship Cibele left the Port of Genoa bound for NYC laden with wine.

• Washington's Yakima Valley AVA was designated in 1983.

April 3rd - 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.

• It is the feast day of Saint Richard of Chichester. After becoming bishop he established rules to stop clerical abuses, forced priests to abandon their concubines, celebrate mass in clean robes, use the purest wheat flour for communion hosts and wine was to be mixed with water.

• In a letter dated April 3, 1563 Sir Thomas Challoner(Chaloner)  writes to Robert Cecil that he was sending a hog’s skin of St. Martin’s wine asking that it be given to the Queen, “perchance prove her of wine to digest her strawberries better than all the purveyors at home”. Chaloner was Elizabeth’s ambassador to Philip II of Spain.

• Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, a Spanish painter in the Baroque school died in 1682.  He is known for his painting of the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus transforms water into wine.

• Wine and Ale were provided for the two young men that preached that day in 1688 in Rotherham. 

• AOC Ajaccio (Corsica) was created in 1984.  It is the birthplace of Napoleon.

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.

March 23rd - 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 issued a warrant to the Farmers of Customs for unlading 120 pipes of Canary wine for the Spanish ambassadors in 1667.

• Ludwig Minkus  and Austrian-Jewish composer was born in 1826.  His father was a wholesale wine merchant in Moravia, Austria and Hungary.

• Hubert de Castella arrived in Melbourne, from Switzerland in 1854 and began a winery in the Yarra Valley.

• The Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry listed that W.P. Thompson received a patent for a method and apparatus for manufacturing beer, ale, wine, cider or the like in 1892.

March 19th - 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.

• During the reign of Charles I, 1667, it was reported that Rear-Admiral Utbert took  five or six Dutch and French prizes (ships) which were filled with wine, brandy and salt.

• Philip (Filippo) Mazzei, Italian born physical and viticulturist died in 1816.  He brought plants, seeds, silkworms and farms from Lucca, Italy. Thomas Jefferson gave Mazzei land too start a vineyard.

• Pennsylvania and New Jersey's Central Delaware Valley AVA was designated in 1984.

• California's Yountville AVA was designated in 1999.

• Today is the feast of St. Joseph who is honored with a table of meatless foods (as it is lent) and wine offered to the poor.  St.  Joseph is the patron Saint of the working man.

March 18th - 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.

Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was burned at the stake.  The Knights at one point owned the entire Island of Cyprus and were purported to have created the wine, Commandaria.

Robert Walpole, The Earl of Orford and Prime Minister of Great Britain died in 1745.  He proposed that the tariff on wine and tobacco be replaced by an excise tax.  Revenues had fallen due to smuggling. #March18th #wine #history #winehistory🍷.

Ernest Gallo was born in 1909. #March18th #wine #history #winehistory🍷📗.

George I, King of the Hellenes was assassinated in Thessaloniki in 1913.  The king grew his own grapes for wine, Chateau Décélie. #March18th #wine #history #winehistory🍷.

The Australian Geographical Indication "Mount Benson" was registered in 1997 #March18th #wine #history #winehistory🍷📗.

Fess Parker, film and tv actor and winemaker died in 2010. #March18th #wine #history #winehistory🍷📗.

March 14th - 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 the History of the 4th Battalion Norfolk Regiment:(late East Norfolk Militia) includes lists of bets among the officers including one: Dated March 14, 1813 from Limerick that Mr. Love bets Mr. Steele a bottle of wine that the place at which the Major commanded the left wing to fire with their arms shouldered was Mallow.  To be paid when decided.  This bet was lost by Mr. Steele.

• John Adlum, an American viticulturist famous for cultivating Catawba died in 1836.  His residence, named “The Vineyard” was located in Georgetown in the District of Columbia.

• English writer, wine-merchant and Master of Wine, Pat Simon was born in 1920.

• Spain's Valdepeñas DO was created in 1995.

March 10th - 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.

• Johann Rudolf Glauber was born in 1604.  He was a German-Dutch alchemist who wrote about improvements in wine making and is considered an early chemist or chemical engineer.

• Parliament passed a duty of 7l. per tun of Madeira and 10s per tun of Portuguese and Spanish wine in 1764.

• William Shilling of Baltimore, MD received a patent  in 1868 for an apparatus for distilling spiritus liquors… specifically “low” wine.

• Paul Draper winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California was born in 1936 

• Hugh Johnson OBE, British author and wine expert was born in 1939

• It is the feast day of St. Himelin.  He became while returning from a pilgrimage to Rome.  He ask a girl for water and was refused due to plague in the area.  When she relented, the water, miraculously turned into wine.  He died of the plague three days later. 

March 8th - 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.

• The Annotated Book of Common Prayer published in 1548 added the English Order of Communion to the Latin Mass.  This required that people receive both bread and wine as part of the Communion Rite.

• Johannes Kepler discovered the third law of planetary motion in 1618.  Three years earlier he wrote Nova stereometria doliorum vinariorum on using math to measure the volume of wine barrels.

• The Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro O Provedor e Deputados published a royal decree respecting the price of wine in 1804.  The company was founded by the Marquis of Pombal.

• CA Trundy of 61 Court Street, Boston wrote a testimonial as to the efficacy of Theobroma Wine which is found in a prospectus for the Theobroma Wine Co. in 1887.

• Zhen Wang Huang, aka Rudy Kurniawan was was arrested in 2012.  He is a wine collector who was convicted of wine fraud by buying Burgundy wine from negociants and relabelling them are more valuable wines, such as those the Domaine Romanée-Conti.

March 5th - 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.

• 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 28th - 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.

• Samuel Pepys drank a pint of wine at the Greyhound Tavern with Mr. Pierce and William Howe in 1660.

• Wine writer, Andre Simon was born in 1877. 

• Mario Andretti was born in 1940.  He is one of the founders of Andretti Winery in Napa Valley.

• California's Rockpile AVA was designated in 2002.

• California's Trinity Lakes AVA was designated in 2005.

• The French have a saying, « Beau ciel à la saint Romain, il y aura des denrées et du bon vin. » or "Beautiful sky at St. Romain, there will be food and good wine. "

February 26 - 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.

• Samuel Pepys drank a draft of wormwood wine with Sir William Batten at the Steelyard in 1662.

• Musician Jonathan Cain was born in 1950. He is owner of Finale Wines in Sonoma County.

• California's Fair Play AVA was designated in 2001.

• Oregon and Washington's Walla Walla Valley AVA was designated in 2001.

February 15th - 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.

• King John of England (known as Lackland) invaded La Rochelle, France in 1214.  John was known as a connoisseur of jewels and his love of bad wine.

• Gotthold Ephraim Lessing died in 1781.  He was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist and art critic. He died during a visit to the wine dealer Angott in Brunswick.

• Ernest Shackleton, antarctic explorer was born in 1874.  During his Nimrod Expedition of 1907-1909 he packed 1600 lbs of “finest York hams,” 1260 lbs of sardines, 1470 lbs of tinned bacon, 408 lbs of ox tongues, 384 lbs of sheep tongues, 144 lbs of pork tongue.  For beverages, he included 25 cases of whisky, six bases of brandy, 6 cases of Champagne and 3 cases of Port.

• Drink some Red, Red Wine, Ali Campbell of UB 40 was born in 1959.

February 17th - 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 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.

February 10th - 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.

• The St. Scholastica Day riot was sparked by Oxford students complaining about the quality of the wine at Swindlestock Tavern in 1355.

• Birthday of Aaron Hill, English writer of “The Walking Statue; Or, the Devil in the Wine Cellar” He was born in 1685.

• Jefferson Davis is notified in 1861 that he has been made the provisional President of the Confederates States of America.  While at West Point, Davis was a participant in the Egg Nog Riots.  He was held under house arrest for  his role but allowed to graduate.

• Nicholas Longworth, American banker and winemaker died in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1863.  He was a noted winemaker known particularly for producing sparkling Catawba wines that were highly acclaimed in Europe.

• In a letter dated 1890 to Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular, the firm of Culbert & Taylor of 39 Broadway in New York, announce that they are the agent’s for Martini & Rossi.

• Golfer Greg Norman was born in 1955.  He owns Greg Norman Estates in South Australia and California.

February 9th - This Date in Wine History

Photo courtesy of Penfolds Grange Hermitage

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.

• English Protestant martyr, Rowland Taylor died in 1555.  He was a supporter of Lady Jane Grey who was overthrown by Mary.   He tried and found guilty of heresy for objecting to the doctrine of transubstantiation where bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  He was burned at the stake. 

• Max Schubert, Australian winemaker responsible for Penfolds Grange Hermitage was born in 1915.

• Race Car Driver, Kevin Buckler was born in 1959.  He owns Adobe Road Wines in Sonoma.

• Connecticut's Western Connecticut Highlands AVA was designated in 1988.

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• The Australian Geographical Indication "Adelaide Hills" was registered in 1998.

• New Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain AVA was designated in 2007.

February 7th - 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.

• Empress Matilda of the Holy Roman Empire was born in 1102.  She became a claimant for the English throne when her brother, William Adelin died when the vessel he was on, the White Ship foundered due to excessive drinking by the crew.  Eventually, The Empress’s son, Henry became Henry II of England.

• James Busby, father of Australian wine industry born in 1801.

• The 1863 The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art includes an ad from James L. Denman, Wine Merchant who sells  Greek, Hungarian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian wines.

• In 1890 Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular reports that the Senate Finance Committee is “bent upon having the administrative customs bill become a law as soon as possible,” despite objections from New York importers.

February 5th -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 1206 King John orders Ralph the Miller to let Richard de Redvers have two tuns of wine that the king had bought.

• In 1680, the Town of Irvine payed 8 Pounds 3 shilling 8d for “8 pints of claret wine two ounces of tobacco and eight pypes” to honor Granaries sons burial day.

• Wine in the Word: An inquiry concerning the wine Christ made, the wine of the supper,etc. was an address given by Abraham Coles before the Woman's Christian temperance union of Plainfield, N. J., 

• The silent film, Liebfraumilch was released in 1929.  It starred Livio Pavanelli and Henny Porten.

• The French have a saying, « À sainte Agathe va à ta vigne, si ce n'est pour y travailler, au moins pour y déjeuner. » which translates (loosely to "To St. Agatha go to your vineyard, if not to work there, at least to have lunch there.”