February 7th - 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.

Empress Matilda of the Holy Roman Empire was born in 1102.  She became a claimant for the English throne when her brother, William Adelin died when the vessel he was on, the White Ship foundered due to excessive drinking by the crew.  Eventually, The Empress’s son, Henry became Henry II of England.

James Busby, father of Australian wine industry born in 1801.

An 1863 The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, and Art includes an ad from James L. Denman, Wine Merchant who sells  Greek, Hungarian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian wines.

In 1890 Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular reports that the Senate Finance Committee is “bent upon having the administrative customs bill become a law as soon as possible,” despite objections from New York importers.

January 30th - 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.

• A Parisian Ordonnance of 1330, forbade the mixing of two wines together; no wine-seller was to give a false name to a wine, or to give a wrong description of its age ; the penalty was confiscation of the wine and a fine.
• Georg Friedrich Margrave von Baden-Durlach was born in 1573.  He founded an exchange bank in Upper Baden which was supposed to organize the wine and grain trade.
• Peter II of Russia died in 1730.  One of his early governesses was the wife of a Dutch vintner.
• Salvador Dalí married Elena Ivanovna Diakonova, better known as Gala in 1934. He later created a wine book, The Wines of Gala, as well as a cookbook, The Dinners of Gala in her honor.

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.

January 22nd - This Date in Wine History

Photo by Charterhouse Auctioneers & Valuers

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.

• George Gordon Byron, known as Lord Byron was born in 1788. He used a skull found at Newstead Abbey as a wine cup. He wrote the poem Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed from a Skull.
• Antonio Todde was born in 1889.  A Sardinian shepherd, he is known for saying, "Just love your brother and drink a good glass of red wine every day,"
• Alexandrina Victoria, known later as Queen Victoria died in 1901.  She was known for enjoying a mix of claret and whisky.
• Food Network star, Guy Fieri was born in 1968.  He is owner of Hunt & Ryde Winery.
• California's Atlas Peak AVA was designated in 1992.
• Feast day of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, patron saint of vintners.

October 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.

• George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence was born in 1449.  He was accused of plotting his brother Edward IV and was executed in the Tower of London by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine.
• Horatio Nelson, Lord Admiral of the British Navy and the Hero of Trafalgar died in 1805. His body was placed in cask of brandy, mixed with camphor and myrrh and later transferred to a lead coffin filled with spirits of wine.
• Hermann Müller, a Swiss botanist and oenologist created the Müller-Thurgau varietal in 1882 was born in 1850.
• Ohio's Grand River Valley AVA was designated in 1983.
• New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania Lake Erie AVA was designated in 1983.
• California's Chalk Hill, Knights Valley, Russian River Valley AVA were designated in 1983.
• Verbicaro DOC was created in 1995.
• Wine for the Confused, a movie by John Cleese was released in 2004.

October 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.

• Marie Antoinette, whose breasts are rumored to be the model of the shape of the champagne coupe was executed in 1793.
• The Australian Geographical Indications "Langhorne Creek" and "Lenswood" were registered in 1998.
• The French have a saying, « Pour la Saint-Gall, le raisin fait du mauvais vin. » or "For St. Gallen, the grapes make bad wine. "

July 25th - 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 married Prince Louis who would later be crown Louis VII of France at the Cathedral of Saint-André in Bordeaux i.n 1137 Bordeaux and all its wines were hers.
• Listed among the expenses for Princess Mary in 1540 was "Itm to the gentylmen of the king's chapell for to drinkt w a bucke 40s”
• It is the feast day of St. Cucuphas.  He was martyred by the Romans who tried to kill him by roasting him with vinegar and pepper.  Eventually, they cut his throat.