Jan 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.

• The Battle of Sluys takes place off the coast of Flanders in 1340.  The French had disrupted English shipping of wool and wine which lead to this sea battle.  The English, under Edward III won decisively with most of the French ships being destroyed or taken.
• John Cabot 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.
• Prince Leo (Lev) Galitzine founder of wine-making in Crimea was born in 1845.

May 16th - 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.

• Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders was crowned the first Emperor of the Latin Empire in 1204 at the Hagia Sophia.  His reign ended with Tsar Kalyan of Bulgaria killed him in 1205 and turned his skull into a drinking cup.
• New York's The Hamptons, Long Island AVA was designated in 1985.
• Robert Mondavi died in 2008.