June 15th - This Date in Wine History

/
Germainecousin.jpg

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.

  • Lisa del Giocondo was born in 1479. 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.
  • Arkansas was admitted to the union in 1836.  It is home to the Altus, Arkansas Mountain and Ozark Mountain viticultural areas.
  • California's Mendocino AVA was designated in 1984.
  • California's Monterey AVA was designated in 1984.
  • It is the feast day of Saint Germaine of Pibrac (France).  She was known to sleep on a pallet vine cuttings from her infancy until the time she died at the age of 22.

Mendocino Ridge - Wine Region of the Day

/
Mendocino Ridge

The Mendocino Ridge AVA is located on 262,400 acres within the coastal zone of Mendocino County, California. Mendocino Ridge's boundaries begin at the coastal ridges adjacent to the Pacific Ocean that reach inland toward the Anderson Valley. Mendocino Ridge is limited by elevation, reserved only for vineyards at or above 1200 feet. There are 2,000 acres of vineyards perched above thick fog moving inland from the Pacific Ocean blanketing the coast and the valleys between the ridge tops, allowing the vines to grow above the blanket of fog. The area is known its production of Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.

The early wine producers in this viticultural area were Italian immigrants who planted Alicante-Bouscet, Carignan, Malvasia, Muscat, Palomino and Zinfandel. The first winery in the area, and indeed all of Mendocino County, was Antonio Ciapusci who planted his land in 1878. Many of these vineyards were replanted with other crops during Prohibition but several have survived including the Ciapusci, Perli, Gianoli and Zeni vineyards.

Mendocino - Wine Region of the Day

/

Mendocino received its designation as an AVA in 1984. Situated on 3,878 square miles, Mendocino contains sub-appellations Anderson Valley, Cole Ranch, Covelo, Dos Rios, Eagle Peak Mendocino County, McDowell Valley, Mendocino Ridge, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, and the Yorkville Highlands. Given Mendocino's large size, the region features many micro-climates and soil types spread throughout the sub-appellations. Mendocino is committed to growing organic vines and is the nation's leader in producing non-GMO wines.