March 21st - 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.

• Eleanor of Aquitaine’s marriage to Louis VII of France in 1152.  Her dowry included Aquitaine including the vineyards or Bordeaux, which remained hers through the marriage and afterwards.

• Julio Gallo was born in 1910.

• The AOC Alsace Grand Cru Sylvaner and Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim were named in 2005.

• Wine Road of The Samurai, a documentary about 34 Samurai (who were also known as The Last Samurais) delegation sent by the Japanese government to France at the end of Edo era was released in 2006.

• Happy Nowruz!  The Persian New Year celebration goes back to the reign of mythic king Jamshid who saved humanity from a killer winter and also created wine.  The holiday is celebrated by Zoroastrians, Bahá’í and some Muslim sects

February 9th - This Date in Wine History

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.

January 24th - 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.

• Pope Stephen IV died in 817.  Under Stephen, the Frankish clergy was reformed requiring men and women be housed in separated convents, which were to hold community property jointly.  He also regulated how much food and wine they could consume.

• Peter IV of Aragon was crowned King of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca and County of Barcelona in 1336. He once had a friendly dispute with his Jewish physician about why Jewish people were not allowed to drink kosher wine touched by a Christian.  The Doctor had water brought to wash the king’s feet which he then drank to prove that impurity was not the reason for the prohibition.

• Spain's Tierra del Vino de Zamora DO was created in 2008.

• It is the feast day of St. Cadoc.  At his baptism a holy well that flowed milk and wine appeared. He is the patron saint of Glamorgan; Llancarfan; famine victims; deafness; and glandular disorders.

December 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.

• Catherine of Aragon was born in 1485. After the birth of her first child, Henry, Duke of Cornwall was born guns were fired, bells were rung, fires lit and free wine was given to the public.

• George Whitefield, one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement was born in 1714.  He was the son of an inn keeper who was “bred to the wine-trade” at least according to The General Assembly’s Missionary Magazine.

• Barbe Nicole Ponsardin born in 1777, she is the future Veuve Cliquot.

• Birthday of Noël Coward in 1899 who wrote: The air is like a draught of wine. The undertaker cleans his sign, The Hull express goes off the line, When it's raspberry time in Runcorn. in On With the Dance, 'Poor Little Rich Girl’.

June 11th - 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.

• King John III of Portugal died in 1557. When writing to the Manikongo, the King of the Congo: "Now, I say, like you said that there was no capture of slaves in your Kingdom, I just want to provide you with flour and wine for your Eucharistic rites, and for that it would only be needed a caravel each year; if it seems right to you, in exchange for 10,000 slaves and 10,000 armlets and 10,000 ivory tooth, that, it is said, in the Congo there is not much, not even a ship per year; so, this and more shall be as you want."
• Ben Jonson, the English poet was born in 1572.  After the death of Henry IV of France, Jonson decided to re-join the Church of England and showed his renunciation of the Catholic faith by drinking a full chalice of Communion wine which at the time was supposed to only be drunk by the priests.  Also Drink to me only with thy eye and I will drink with mine… Or leave a kiss within the cup and I’ll not ask for wine.  To Celia…
• California's Sonoma Coast AVA was designated in 1987.
• The Australian Geographical Indication "Swan Hill" was registered in 1996.

April 2nd - 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. 

• The Bianchello di Metauro DOC was created in 1969.
• The Marsala DOC was created in 1969.
• The Sartène AOC was designated in 1976.
• It is the feast of Acan, the Mayan god of wine (also known as Belch).
• Feast day of St. Urban of Langres, patron saint of vineyard workers.

February 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. 

• Philipp Melanchthon was born in 1497.  He was a collaborator of Martihn Luther and helped create the early theology of the Lutheran Church, such as  the rejection of the idea of transubstantiation.
• Joseph Victor von Scheffel, a German poet and novelist was born in 1826.  He wrote  Gaudeamus, Lieder aus dem Engeren und Weiteren, a collection of humorous songs that are about student life and wine.
• California's Covelo AVA and  Washington's Rattlesnake Hills AVA was designated in 2006.

February 9th - 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. 

• 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.

January 24th - 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.

Jan 24

• Pope Stephen IV died in 817.  Under Stephen, the Frankish clergy was reformed requiring men and women be housed in separated convents, which were to hold community property jointly.  He also regulated how much food and wine they could consume.
• Peter IV of Aragon was crowned King of Aragon, Valencia, Majorca and County of Barcelona in 1336. He once had a friendly dispute with his Jewish physician about why Jewish people were not allowed to drink kosher wine touched by a Christian.  The Doctor had water brought to wash the king’s feet which he then drank to prove that impurity was not the reason for the prohibition.
• Spain's Tierra del Vino de Zamora DO was created in 2008.
• It is the feast day of St. Cadoc.  At his baptism a holy well that flowed milk and wine appeared.  He is the patron saint of Glamorgan; Llancarfan; famine victims; deafness; and glandular disorders.