February 9th - This Date in Wine History

Photo courtesy of Penfolds Grange Hermitage

Photo courtesy of Penfolds Grange Hermitage

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.

  • English Protestant martyr, Rowland Taylor died in 1555.  He was a supporter of Lady Jane Grey who was overthrown by Mary.   He tried and found guilty of heresy for objecting to the doctrine of transubstantiation where bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  He was burned at the stake. 

  • Max Schubert, Australian winemaker responsible for Penfolds Grange Hermitage was born in 1915.

  • Race Car Driver, Kevin Buckler was born in 1959.  He owns Adobe Road Wines in Sonoma.

  • Connecticut's Western Connecticut Highlands AVA was designated in 1988.

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  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Adelaide Hills" was registered in 1998.

  • New Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain AVA was designated in 2007.

December 18th - 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.

  • The King of Scotland, Robert the Bruce provided two casks of wine to Sir Patrick de Dunbar, Earl of March in 1310.

  • Christina, Queen of Sweden was born in 1626. The celebration of her coronation included fountains filled with wine for three days in the market place.

  • New Jersey ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1787.  It is home to the Central Delaware Valley, Outer Coastal Plains and Warren Hills viticultural areas.

  • E.W. Hilgard of Mission San Jose found his Cinsault turbid, with a markedly aromatic bouquet, medium body, low astringency, and medium acid: slightly suspicious in quality.  He then racked and pasteurized the wine for safety.

  • Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt and founder of Silverado Vineyards was born in 1933.

  • It is the feast day of Saint Sebastian who’s skull is used as a wine cup on his feast day. The skull cap relic is located in Germany.

  • James Beard award winning author of "What to Drink With What You Eat", Andrew Dornenburg was born in 1958.

  • The movie, May  Wine debuted in 1991.

  • Zhen Wang Huang, aka Rudy Kurniawan was convicted in 2013.  He is a wine collector who was convicted of wine fraud by buying Burgundy wine from negociants and relabelling them are more valuable wines, such as those the Domaine Romanée-Conti.

November 20th - 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.

  • A truce between John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and Louis of Valois, Duke of Orleans was agreed to in 1407.  It lasted 3 whole days before Burgundy assassinated Orleans.

  • Sir John Harington, writer and courtier who Queen Elizabeth I referred to as her “saucy Godson” died in 1612.  He was unhappy with the amount of drinking at the court of James I and commented on a masque hosted by Robert Cecil where "the entertainment and show went forward, and most of the presenters went backward, or fell down, wine did so occupy their upper chambers”.

  • Francesco Saverio Castiglioni, later Pope Pius VIII was born in the Papal State of Marche in 1761.  As Pontiff, Pius removed the laws that forbade selling wine in taverns except when served with meals.

  • New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.  New Jersey is home to the Cape May Peninsula, Central Delaware Valley, Outer Coastal Plain and Warren Hills AVAs.

  • Robert Baddeley died in 1794, bequeathing £3 per annum to provide wine and cake in the green-room of Drury Lane theatre on Twelfth Night. The ceremony of the Baddeley cake has remained a regular institution.

February 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. 

  • English Protestant martyr, Rowland Taylor died in 1555.  He was a supporter of Lady Jane Grey who was overthrown by Mary.   He tried and found guilty of heresy for objecting to the doctrine of transubstantiation where bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  He was burned at the stake. 
  • Max Schubert, Australian winemaker responsible for Penfolds Grange Hermitage was born in 1915.
  • Race Car Driver, Kevin Buckler was born in 1959.  He owns Adobe Road Wines in Sonoma.
  • Connecticut's Western Connecticut Highlands AVA was designated in 1988.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Adelaide Hills" was registered in 1998.
  • New Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain AVA was designated in 2007.

February 9th - This Date in Wine History

Lady Jane Grey


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.


  • English Protestant martyr, Rowland Taylor died in 1555.  He was a supporter of Lady Jane Grey who was overthrown by Mary.   He tried and found guilty of heresy for objecting to the doctrine of transubstantiation where bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  He was burned at the stake. 
  • Max Schubert, Australian winemaker responsible for Penfolds Grange Hermitage was born in 1915.
  • Connecticut's Western Connecticut Highlands AVA was designated in 1988.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "Adelaide Hills" was registered in 1998.
  • New Jersey's Outer Coastal Plain AVA was designated in 2007.