October 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.

• Charles II of Navarre, known as Charles the Bad was born in 1332.  At the end of his life he was so decrepit that his doctor order him wrapped like a mummy in linen soaked in brandy (aqua vitae).  A maid dropped a candle and WHOOSH! This was seen as a sign of God’s justice.
• Melchor de Concha y Toro, businessman, lawyer, Chilean politician and Marquis of Casa Concha by the Spanish Crown planted vines in the valley of the Maipo River thus creating the Concha y Toro winery was born in 1833.
• New York's North Fork of Long Island and Texas' Bell Mountain AVA were designated in 1986.
• AOC Anjou - Coteaux de la Loire was established in 2003.

September 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.

• Philip III of Navarre died in 1343.  He fell ill after having been injured by an arrow.  Alfonso XI’s doctors told him to change his diet, but his own doctor told him to keep eating meat and drinking wine.
• A cedulla signed by Phillip II of Spain in 1586 forbade the sale of any wine in Panama except that imported from Spain.
• Happy California Wine Month!

June 27th - 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 of Navarre, known as Charles the Bad was crowned in 1350.  At the end of his life he was so decrepit that his doctor order him wrapped like a mummy in linen soaked in brandy (aqua vitae).  A maid dropped a candle and WHOOSH! This was seen as a sign of God’s justice.
• Diethylene glycol was discovered in a bottle of 1983 Rüster Auslese from a Stuttgart supermarket in 1985.
• Ycoden-Daute-Isora DO of Spain was created in 1994.