March 23rd - 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 II issued a warrant to the Farmers of Customs for unlading 120 pipes of Canary wine for the Spanish ambassadors in 1667.

• Ludwig Minkus  and Austrian-Jewish composer was born in 1826.  His father was a wholesale wine merchant in Moravia, Austria and Hungary.

• Hubert de Castella arrived in Melbourne, from Switzerland in 1854 and began a winery in the Yarra Valley.

• The Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry listed that W.P. Thompson received a patent for a method and apparatus for manufacturing beer, ale, wine, cider or the like in 1892.

October 20th - This Date in Wine History

Photo courtesy of Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof - 76833 Siebeldingen, GERMANY

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.

• Flemish painter, Simon de Vos, was born in 1603.  His paintings often depict people at social gatherings with wine, such as the “Wedding at Cana” and “Gathering of Smokers and Drinkers”.

• South African chemist and viticulturist, Abraham Izak Perold was born in 1880.

• Italy’s Rosso Conero DOC was created in 1990.

• Italy’s Verduno Pelaverga DOC was created in 1995.

• Spain's Rioja DOCa was created in 2004.

• Happy National Brandied Fruit Day!

• National Sweetest Day!

September 28th - 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.

• Theodore de Mayerne, a Swiss physician who cared for Henri IV of France, James I, Charles I and Charles II of England was born in 1573.  He was said to have died in1655 from an excess of drinking of bad wine.

• French Romantic writer, Prosper Mérimée was born in 1803.  In  a story La Chamber bleu, written for Empress Eugenie, two lovers in a hotel room find a stream of blood coming under the door of their room.  They later discover it was Port wine.

• Louis Pasteur, who discovered pasteurization, the nature of tartaric acid in wine making & germ theory died today in 1895.

• Jean "Johnny" Hugel, Alsatian wine producer was born in 1924.

• Happy California Wine Month!

March 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. 

• The Annotated Book of Common Prayer published in 1548 added the English Order of Communion to the Latin Mass.  This required that people receive both bread and wine as part of the Communion Rite.
• Johannes Kepler discovered the third law of planetary motion in 1618.  Three years earlier he wrote Nova stereometria doliorum vinariorum on using math to measure the volume of wine barrels.
• The Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro O Provedor e Deputados published a royal decree respecting the price of wine in 1804.  The company was founded by the Marquis of Pombal.
• CA Trundy of 61 Court Street, Boston wrote a testimonial as to the efficacy of Theobroma Wine which is found in a prospectus for the Theobroma Wine Co. in 1887.

September 28th - 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.

• Louis Pasteur, who discovered pasteurization, the nature of tartaric acid in wine making & germ theory died today in 1895.
• Jean "Johnny" Hugel, Alsatian wine producer was born in 1924.
• Arkansas' Arkansas Mountain AVA was designated in 1986.
• Paul Newman of Newman's Own, which includes a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon died in 2008.
• Happy California Wine Month!

July 14th - 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.

• Visitador General José de Gálvez sent the expedition of Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portolà to found a mission at San Diego and presidio at Monterey in 1769. Fra. Serra planted to first vitis vinifera in Northern California as a result.
• The Fête de la Fédération was a celebration of the unity of France after the revolution was occurred in 1790.  The day began with a mass and ended with a feast, fireworks, wine and running nude through the streets to show their freedom.
• The Priestley Riots began in 1791 after a banquet to celebrate the French Revolution ran amuck.  Rioters fueled with wine from the banquet and liquor looted from destroyed buildings made their way to the house and church of Joseph Priestley who was driven from the city of Birmingham.
• Have a glass of Champagne and shout, "Vive, La France!" It is Bastille Day today.  Remember, today, in 1789 the Bourgeois Militia of Paris stormed the infamous Bastille prison in Paris and released the prisoners.  All 7 of them.  They consisted of 4 forgers, 2 lunatics and a deviant aristocrat (he was arrested for incest).

July 5th - 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 Everyday Book of 1838 relays a story about Swan-hopping in the City (London) where a group of gentlemen were scammed out of the cost of lunch for a group of ladies (and their servants) during an expedition up river to watch the ceremony to mark the swans of London.  The gentlemen in question found that they had been left with bill by the ladies who claimed that “their husbands” would cover the costsof their dinner, dessert, wine,tea etc.  7£ 10 shilling.  By the way, London swans are still marked in London and are considered to be owned by the Queen, the dyers guild and the vintners guild.
• French eonologist, Alfred de Vergnette de Lamotte was born in 1806. He is best know for his work on wine preservation.
• The Australian Geographical Indication "Wrattonbully" was registered in 2005.