January 22nd - This Date in Wine History

DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Logico, U.S. Navy/Released

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 in1889.  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.

January 20th - 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.

• Enoch L. Johnson was born in 1883.  He was an Atlantic City political and crime boss who was quoted as saying, “We have whisky, wine, women, song and slot machines. I won't deny it and I won't apologize for it. If the majority of the people didn't want them they wouldn't be profitable and they would not exist. The fact that they do exist proves to me that the people want them.”  He was fictionalized in Boardwalk Empire as the character, Nucky Thompson.

• Baron Philippe de Rothschild died in 1988.

• California's San Francisco Bay AVA was designated in 1999.

• The owner of Trump Winery, Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States in 2017.

December 23rd - This Date in Wine History

Festivus meatloaf, served on lettuce.

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.

• Jean François Champollion was born in 1790.  He was known for deciphering the Rosetta Stone.  It contains records from Ptolemy V including donations of wine to temples and vineyard harvests.

• Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular reports that weather on this date in 1889 had been so bad that there were fewer customers to purchase brandy in Charentes.

• California's Redwood Valley AVA was designated in 1996.

• Happy Festivus.  Please watch your imbibing of spirits before the airing of  grievances or feats of strength.

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.

December 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.

• Nicholas Breakspear was declared #Pope #AdrianIV in 1154.  His #papacy would end five years later when he #choked on a #fly in his #wine

• U.S. Gen. George Washington held a dinner to bid farewell to his officers in 1783.  He toasted them with the words,  "[w]ith a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable." As he later asked to take each one of his officers by the hand for a personal word.

• California's McDowell Valley AVA was designated in 1981.

• California's Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was designated in 1981.

• California's Sonoma Valley AVA was designated in 1981.

• Falcon Crest, an American primetime television soap opera about an American winemaking family debuted 1981.

• Happy Cabernet Franc Day!

May 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.

• John Hancock gave an election dinner at Fanueil Hall in 1791 at which 163 bottles of wine were consumed.
• The Chevalier d’Eon died in 1810.  In 1764, 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.
• The Clover Leap Wine Co. received a trademark for their Claret wine in 1907.
• Raymond Burr of Perry Mason and Ironside, fame was born in 1917.  He established Raymond Burr Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley in 1966.
• The French have a saying« Quand la vigne est en fleur à la Saint-Thiébault, il n'y a ni biens ni maux. » or, “When the vines are in bloom on St. Thiebault’s day, it is neither good nor bad.”

March 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. 

• Robert Walpole, The Earl of Orford and Prime Minister of Great Britain died in 1745.  He proposed that the tariff on wine and tobacco be replaced by an excise tax.  Revenues had fallen due to smuggling.
• Ernest Gallo was born in 1909.
• George I, King of the Hellenes was assassinated in Thessaloniki in 1913.  The king grew his own grapes for wine, Chateau Décélie.
• The Australian Geographical Indication "Mount Benson" was registered in 1997.
• Fess Parker, film and tv actor and winemaker died in 2010.
• Happy Ag Appreciation Week  Remember, without ag, there is no wine!

December 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.

• Nicholas Breakspear was declared Pope Adrian IV in 1154.  His papacy would end five years later when he choked on a fly in his wine
• U.S. Gen. George Washington held a dinner to bid farewell to his officers in 1783.  He toasted them with the words,  "[w]ith a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable." As he later asked to take each one of his officers by the hand for a personal word.
• California's McDowell Valley AVA was designated in 1981.
• California's Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was designated in 1981.
• California's Sonoma Valley AVA was designated in 1981.
• Falcon Crest, an American primetime television soap opera about an American winemaking family debuted 1981.
• Happy Cabernet Franc Day!