August 12th - 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.

  • Cleopatra died in 30 BC.  She is said to have owned the largest pearls in the world and she bet Marc Antony that she could spend a small fortune on a single  meal.  She won the bet by taking one of the pearls and dissolving it in wine vinegar and drinking the mix.
  • The City of Jerez Spain in 1483 issued rules regarding The Raisin and Grape Harvesting Guild, protecting the designation of “Sherry”.
  • Christopher Columbus stops in the Canary Islands in 1492 to restock provisions.  Food, water, delicious Canary wine….
  • The French départment of Rhône-et-Loire was split into the départments of Rhône and Loire.  
  • Eddie Barlow, South African cricketer was born in 1940.  In his retirement he bought a vineyard named Windfall.