October 5th - 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.

  • Denis Diderot, French philosopher and writer and editor of Encyclopédie was born in 1713.  A government critic he was incarcerated in the fortress of Vincennes.  He was allowed only one book, Paradise Lost which he made notes in using a toothpick and slate scrapings mixed with wine as ink.

  • Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont, referred to as the Chevalier d’Éon was born in 1728.  the Count de Guerchy tried to poison the Chevalier d'Eon by poisoning his wine with opium. The Chevalier was a French diplomat, spy, soldier and Freemason who lived the first half of her life as a man and the second half as a woman.

  • Anaheim, California was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who had formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company.

  • Bonfort’s Wine and Spirits Circular indicates that the cargo ship Emilie left the port of Lisbon bound for NYC with a cargo of wine in 1887.

  • California's San Benito AVA was designated in 1987.

October 5th - This Date in Wine History

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Anaheim,_southern_California,_its_history,_climate,_soil_and_advantages_for_home_seekers_and_settlers_(1885)_(14595517037).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.

  • Anaheim, California was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who had formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company.
  • Bonfort’s Wine and Spirits Circular indicates that the cargo ship Emilie left the port of Lisbon bound for NYC with a cargo of wine in 1887.
  • California's San Benito AVA was designated in 1987.

Central Coast - Wine Region of the Day

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Central Coast

The Central Coast was designated as an AVA in 1985. Situated across 280 miles from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, the Central Coast is home to sub-appellations Arroyo Grande Valley, Arroyo Seco, Ballard Canyon, Ben Lomond Mountain, Carmel Valley, Chalone, Cienega Valley, Edna Valley, Hames Valley, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Lime Kiln Valley, Livermore Valley, Monterey, Mt. Harlan, Pacheco Pass, Paicines, Paso Robles, San Antonio Valley, San Benito, San Bernabe, San Francisco Bay, San Lucas, San Ysidro District, Santa Clara Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, and York Mountain. The Central Coast is so vast that it features a variety of soil types and microclimates across its sub-appellations. The most common vines planted across the Central Coast are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.

Paicines - Wine Region of the Day

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Paicines received its designation as an AVA in 1982. Sitting on 42,882 acres, Paicines is a sub-appellation of the San Benito AVA. The proposal for this appellation came from the Almaden winery which operates in the area.  The name Paicines was well documented as having been in use, including the name of the town in the center of the region. Confusingly enough, the original name of the unincorporated town was Tres Pinos which switched names with the original town of Paicines located further south down Airline Highway.

The Paicines that we are discussing is located east of Pinnacles National Park and takes its name originally from the Rancho Cienega de los Paicines (still in operation today as Paicines Ranch) a land that was granted in the 1840s.  Reports indicate that viticulture in the area began as early as the mid-1850s.

The soil of the region consists of a sandy loam which include alluvial deposits and feature fanned materials and benches which may act as natural terraces. The temperature is akin to that of the high desert and often will see daily temperatures north of 100 degrees in the peak of the growing season. As the sun sets, the temperature will drop dramatically, sometimes by as much as 40 degrees as cool Pacific air sweeps into the region.  The Paicines region tends not to feature fogs associated with that marine air.  Though on days that are particularly foggy some will move into the valley and will linger longer that surrounds regions.  Without this swing in temperatures, the region would be too hot to produce vines. The diurnal shift and fogallows the grapes will cool off and extend its growing season. Grapes will stay on the vine longer than in neighboring AVAs. The region is known for producing Arneis, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,  Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Syrah.

Chalone - Wine Region of the Day

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CHALONE

Photo of the Chalone wine region by David Toomey for Qorkz

Chalone received its designation as an AVA in 1982. Sitting on 8,640 acres, the region is located in the Gabilian Mountains situated in both Montereyand San Benito counties. Chalone features limestone and decomposed granite soil. With sunny days and cool evenings, the region has a large diurnal temperature swing allowing the grapes a longer time to ripen and balance their acidity. Chalone is known for its distinctive mineral flavor that it imparts on its vines. With only 300 acres under vine, the majority of the production is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.