November 28th - 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.

  • Ferdinand Magellan passes through what became known as the Strait of Magellan. When provisioning his ships he paid more for Sherry than for weapons. This was perhaps the wrong choice as he was killed during the battle by angry Filipinos.

  • California Fruit News in 1916 reported that the steamer Sonoma left San Francisco for Australia and the South Pacific carrying wine bound for Australia and Honolulu.

  • Maynard A. Joslyn who lead the research to rebirth the California wine industry following the end of Prohibition in 1933 died in 1984. His research included quality issues with wine, including alcoholic content, and content of unfavorable items in alcohol (acidity, sulfur dioxide, and turbidity).

  • The Appalachian High Country AVA was created in 2016.

  • It is the feast day of St. James of the Marches.  An Italian friar, he is depicted with a wine filled chalice often with a snake trying to escape.  It is thought to refer to his attempted poisoning by King Tvrtko of Bosnia.

November 21st - 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.

  • North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution and is admitted as the 12th state in 1789.  It is home to Appalachian High Country, Haw River Valley, Swan Creek, Upper Hiwassee Highlands, Yadkin Valley and possibly soon, Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County.

  • The Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill to establish a commercial vineyard and winery in 1799

  • California's Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA was designated in 1983.

  • California's South Coast AVA was designated in 1985.

  • New Mexico's Mimbres Valley AVA was designated in 1985.

  • Happy National Zinfandel Day.

November 12 - 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.

  • North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1789.  It is home of the Appalachian High Country, Haw Valley, Swan Creek, Yadkin Valley and Upper Hiwassee Highlands viticultural areas.  

  • King George I of Greece returns after his country is freed from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.  The king grew his own grapes for wine, Chateau Décélie.

  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Riverina" was registered in 1998.

  • AOC Aloxe-Corton et Aloxe-Corton 1er cru were designated an AOC in 2007.

September 21st - 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.

  • Virgil who died in 19 BCE wrote the Georgics, whose second volume deals with viticulture matters and includes a description of early ice wines.

  • Edward II of England died in 1327  His wedding feast with Isabella of France was celebrated with a fountain filled with spiced wine.

  • Winston Cup winner, Richard Childress was born in 1945.  He owns Childress Vineyards in Yadkin Valley, North Carolina.

  • Happy California Wine Month!

  • The French have a saying, “ À la Saint-Matthieu, cueille le raisin si tu veux.” or At St. Matthew, pick the grapes if you like

  • Happy International Grenache Day

April 25th - This Date in Wine History

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Isabella_of_France_(litograph).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.

  • Edward II of England was born in 1284.  He was married to Isabella of France (above) in 1308.  The wedding was celebrated at Westminster Palace with a fountain that contained wine and pimento which is described as a spiced medieval drink.  By the way, the bride was 12 years old. ugh.
  • The Dutch fleet destroyed the Spanish fleet at Gibraltar in 1607.  This was part of the Eighty Years’ War between The Netherlands and Spain and it depressed the prices of grains, herring and wine (among other products).
  • North Carolina's Swan Creek AVA was designated in 2008.

December 9th - 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.

  • California's Ben Lomond Mountain AVA was designated in 1987.
  • North Carolina's Yadkin Valley AVA was designated in 2002.
  • Oregon's Yamhill-Carlton District AVA was designated in 2004.

November 28th - This Date in Wine History

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CaliforniaFruitNews.png

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.

  • California Fruit News in 1916 reported that the steamer Sonoma left San Francisco for Australia and the South Pacific carrying wine bound for Australia and Honolulu.
  • Maynard A. Joslyn who lead the research to rebirth the California wine industry following the end of Prohibition in 1933 died in 1984. His research included quality issues with wine, including alcoholic content, and content of unfavorable items in alcohol (acidity, sulfur dioxide, and turbidity).
  • The Appalachian High Country AVA was created in 2016.

April 25th - This Date in Wine History

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Battle of Gibraltar

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.

  • Edward II of England was born in 1284.  He was married to Isabella of France in 1308.  The wedding was celebrated at Westminster Palace with a fountain that contained wine and pimento which is described as a spiced medieval drink.  By the way, the bride was 12 years old. ugh.
  • The Dutch fleet destroyed the Spanish fleet at Gibraltar in 1607.  This was part of the Eighty Years’ War between The Netherlands and Spain and it depressed the prices of grains, herring and wine (among other products).
  • North Carolina's Swan Creek AVA was designated in 2008.

December 9th - This Date in Wine History

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Map of the Ben Lomond Mountain 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.

  • California's Ben Lomond Mountain AVA was designated in 1987.
  • North Carolina's Yadkin Valley AVA was designated in 2002.
  • Oregon's Yamhill-Carlton District AVA was designated in 2004.