January 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. 

• Johann Menge, originally of Steinau, Germany, explored Australia's Barossa Valley and extolled its potential for viticulture was born in 1788.  He is also thought to have discovered the first opal in Australia.
• Thomas Jefferson wrote to John F. Oliveira Fernandes, a physician and merchant from Norfolk, Virginia in 1805 regarding an order of Portuguese wine.
• California's Arroyo Grande Valley AVA was designated in 1990.

December 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.

• Prohibition is repealed in 1933.
• A bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux that had belonged to Thomas Jefferson sold at Christie’s London for 105,000 British Pounds making it the world’s most expensive wine.
• The Savennières AOC was designated in 1996.

October 29th - 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.

• Today is Cyrus the Great Day in Iran.  During the final battle of his life, Cyrus left food and wine (which was unknown to the Massagentian people) and a smallgroup of soldiers that was quickly overtaken by the enemy who consumed the remaining feast becoming intoxicated, leading to many of their demise.
• Henry Dearborn shipped wine and a memorandum of expenses and duties to Thomas Jefferson in 1822.
• Aglianico del Taburno was designated a DOC in 1986.

October 11th - 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.

• Meditrinalia, the Roman festival of the new wine was celebrated.
• In 1794 this would be the 20th day of the Vendémiaire month on the French Revolutionary Calendar. This day was represented by the Pressoir, or wine press. The month was the grape harvesting month.
• Thomas Jefferson exchanged correspondence with William Jarvis regarding a shipment of wine from Portugal in 1805.

September 3rd - 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 U.S. Government submitted a remittance to the estate of Filippo Mazzei in 1822.  Mazzei was an Italian physician, importer pamphleteer and friend of Thomas Jefferson who with Jefferson established the first commercial winery in Virginia.
• The Mamertino DOC was established in 2004.  This wine region is from Messina, Sicily.
• The French have a saying, “À la saint Grégoire, taille la vigne pour boire” or "On St. Gregory’s Day cut the vine to drink" (more or less)
• Happy California Wine Month!

July 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.

• Founding father's toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a glass (or more) or Madeira
• Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and wine lover died in 1826.  John Adams did as well but he didn't supply the government with wine from his own collection.
• It is the feast day of Blessed Catherine Jarrige.  She helped priests escape the French Revolution providing vestments, wine and wafers for mass.  She also disguised a priest as a peasant and poured wine on him to make it look like he was drunk.  When encountering a soldier, she began to berate her “husband” the soldier said, “Citizen if I had a wife like that I’d drown her in the nearest river” to which the priest responded, “Citizen so would I!”
• Happy 4th of July from Qorkz!