December 12th - This Date in Wine History
/Map of the Madera viticultural area by Gretchen Miller Neuman for Qorkz.
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 1887. J.T. Doyle of Cupertino revealed that his plot of long-pruned Grossblaue produced a “Thin, dry wine with pronounced astringency. It was racked and pasteurized for safety” This wine improved considerably by June of the following year. Grossblaue is also known as the Slovenian wine grape, Žametovka.
- California's Madera AVA was designated in 1984.