December 18th - 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 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.

June 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.

• John Gay, English poet and dramatist most known for The Beggar’s Opera was born in 1685.  He also wrote the poem, Wine as an homage.
• Philip J. K. James, founder of Snooth was born in 1978.
• Spain's Tierra de León DO was created in 2005.   Red wines are produced with Prieto Picudo and Mencía although Garnacha and Tempranillo are allowed as well.  White wines are produced with Albarin blanco, Godello although Malvasia and Palomino are allowed.
• Spain's Valles de Benavente DO was created in 2005.  Red wines are produced with Tempranillo, Prieto Picudo and Mencía although Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon are allowed as well.  White wines are produced with Verdejo and Malvasia.
• It is the feast day as Saint Theobald of Provins.  He is the patron saint of the town of Provins, Champagne, France, farmers, winegrowers, shoemakers, belt makers charcoal burners, single dudes, and invoked against feast, eye problems, dry cough, infertility and panic attacks.  Busy dude.

June 4th - 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.

• In 968, Liudprand of Cremona in reporting to his King, Berengar II of Lombard, complains about the quality of the wine in Constantinople which is still made in the manner of the Roman Empire.
• The Pollino DOC was created in 1975. 
• The Gravina DOC was created in 1983
• It is the feast day of Saint Saturnina, patron saint of farmers and wine merchants.  Her relics were returned to Saxony to the Stiftskirche in Neuenheerse, now part of Bad Driburg.
• It is National Cognac Day!

May 15th - 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.

• James Mayer de Rothschild was born in 1792.  He was the founder of the French branch of the Rothschild family.  He is known for banking and for purchasing the Château Lafite Rothschild.
• The Exposition Universelle of 1855 opens in Paris. Emperor Napoleon III ordered the reclassification of Bordeaux wines. This is the basis of the AOC classification system in France.
• The Monbazillac AOC was created in 1936.
• The Cassis AOC was created in 1936.
• California's Santa Lucia Highlands AVA was designated in 1992.
• Texas' Escondido Valley AVA was designated in 1992.
• New York's North Fork of Long Island AVA was designated in 2001.
• It is the feast day of St. Isidore the Farmer. He is patron of agricultural workers, livestock and ranchers.

April 8th - 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. 

• Famed actress, Helena Modjeska died in 1909.  She and a small group of Polish artists and aristocrats emigrated to Anaheim, California to create a colony based on Brooks Farm.  They grew muscat grapes which no one would buy but instead stole… The colony failed and Modjeska returned to the theater but created her home at Arden in Anaheim until 1906.
• The Salice Salentino DOC was created in 1976.
• The Kanawha River Valley AVA was designated in 1986.
• It is the feast of St. Walter of Pontoise.  He is the patron saint of prisoners, prisoners of war, job-related stress and vintners.

March 13th - 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 cargo of the ship Jameson and Peggy included James Anderson’s March 13, 1776 order of 5 Pipes (713 gallons ) port wine.  The jameson and Peggy was later taken by American forces during the Revolutionary War by James Munro.
• The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal for March 13, 1884 contains an ad for the “Choicest and Purest Hungarian Wines ever brought to th is country Strictly for Medicinal Use”
• The Recreation and Cultural Association of Vale do Souto (ARCVASO) was created in 1989 in part to promote Vinho Calum and other cultural treasures.
• William Vere Cruess, food scientist responsible for rebirth of the California wine industry after prohibition died in 1968.  He is also viewed as the inventor of fruit cocktail (in a can).
• It is the feast of St. Ansovinus.  He is a patron of gardeners and is invoked for good harvests.

February 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. 

• Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor was born in 1500. He was known for his preference for beer over wine.
• Spain's Valdeorras DO was created in 1977
• The Rosso Canosa DOC was established in 1979
• National Open That Bottle night 2018!  Treat Yo Self!
• It is the feast day of Saint Matthias, the patron of alcoholics, carpenters, smallpox, tailors, hope, perseverance, Gary, Indiana and Great Falls-Billings, Montana.

December 18th - 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 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 marketplace.
• E.W. Hilgard of Mission San Jose found his Cinsaut 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.
• 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.
• 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.

November 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.

• Elizabeth Stuart was crowned Queen of Bohemia in 1619.  After her marriage to Frederick V, Prince of Palatine and the Rhine, they began their journey to Heidelberg, meeting people from his kingdom and sampling local foods and wines.
• Canadian sommelier, consultant and Director of Programs for Toronto's Good Food Revolution, Jamie Drummond was born in 1971.
• Today is the feast day of Willebrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg.  Enjoy a glass of Crémant de Luxembourg.
• It is International Merlot Day.

October 1st - 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.

• Alexander the Great defeated Darius II in the Battle of Gaugamela in 331.  Within a year he would be dead having drunk wine poisoned with Hellebore after an evening and day of drinking at Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon (people have conjectured).
• Shah Abbas I of Persia began his reign in 1588.  There are paintings of the Shah being handed wine to drink despite Islam's prohibitions against it.
• Today is the feast day of St. Nicetius.  He was Bishop of Trier in Germany and replanted vineyards in the Moselle to restore the wine industry.
• Wine Region of Madeira was created in 1908.

September 22nd - 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.

• In 1794 this was the first day of the month of Vendémiaire in the French Revolutionary calendar. The day translates as grape day during the grape harvest month.
• It is one of the 3 feast days for Saint Phocas, the patron saint of farmers.
• Happy California Wine Month!