October 19th - 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.

  • The English King John (Lackland) died in 1216.  He was known for his love of music, jewels, fancy clothes and “bad” wine.

  • The German Wine Route was opened in 1935.

  • Spain's Alicante DO and Valencia DO were created in 2000.

  • It is the feast day of Saint Verain.  The French AOC Saint-Véran was named in his honor and surrounds the village of Saint-Vérand.

  • Happy Global Champagne Day!

September 14th - 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.

  • Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa was born in 1486 in the Electorate of Cologne. A German physician and polymath, his book De occult philosophy libra tres contained  cures for fevers that included herbs when steeped in wine.

  • Dom Pierre Pérignon “inventor” of Champagne died in 1715.

  • Arthur Wellsley, 1st Duke of Wellington died today in 1852.  He was known by his soldiers as a man who could subsist on cold bread and meat but always drank the best wine.  Often and entire bottle with his meal. 

  • The Colline Saluzzesi DOC was created in 1996.  This wine region is located in the Cuneo section of Italy's Piedmont.

  • Happy California Wine Month!

May 17th - 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.

  • Anne of Denmark was coronated as Queen of the Scots in 1590.  Her marriage to James VI of later James I of England was fractious due to his drinking and adultery.
  • The Pirate, Bartholomew Roberts was born in Wales in 1682.  Impressed into piracy he was elected as Captain six weeks later, after the previous captain was ambushed on the way to the fort in Príncipe to share a glass of wine with the Governor. He is said to be the model for the Dread Pirate Roberts in the Princess Bride.
  • California's Merritt Island AVA was designated in 1983.
  • California's Northern Sonoma AVA was designated in 1985.
  • Lawrence Welk, purveyor of champagne music, died in 1992.
  • Happy National Aperifif day! (established by Maison Lillet)

December 16th - 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.

  • Catherine of Aragon was born in 1485. After the birth of her first child, Henry, Duke of Cornwall was born guns were fired, bells were rung, fires lit and free wine was given to the public.
  • George Whitefield, one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement was born in 1714.  He was the son of an inn keeper who was “bred to the wine-trade” at least according to The General Assembly’s Missionary Magazine.
  • Barbe Nicole Ponsardin born in 1777, she is the future Veuve Cliquot.
  • Birthday of Noël Coward in 1899 who wrote: The air is like a draught of wine. The undertaker cleans his sign, The Hull express goes off the line, When it's raspberry time in Runcorn. in On With the Dance, 'Poor Little Rich Girl’.

November 30th - 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.

  • Winston Churchill, known for enjoying a glass of hock for breakfast was born in 1874.  He is also known to have said,  “Champagne should be cold, dry and free”? 
  • Oscar Wilde dies in Paris in 1900. He is famously quoted as saying while sipping champagne, "And now, I am dying beyond my means.”
  • California's Wild Horse Valley AVA was designated in 1988.
  • Oregon's Dundee Hills AVA was designated 2004.

November 13th - 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.

  • Louis VII of France married Adela of Champagne in 1160.
  • Wine, a silent film starring Fatty Arbuckle was released in 1913. 
  • Casa do Douro was created in 1932.
  • Washington and Oregon's Columbia Valley AVA was designated in 1984.

November 2nd - 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.

  • Edmond James de Rothschild, father of the modern Israeli wine industry died in 1934.
  • Marie Antoinette, whose breasts are rumored to be the model for the champagne coupe was born in 1755.
  • Spain's Chacolí de Bizkaia-Bizkaiko Txakolina DO was created in 1994.

October 16th - 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.

  • Marie Antoinette, whose breasts are rumored to be the model of the shape of the champagne coupe was executed in 1793.
  • The Australian Geographical Indications "Langhorne Creek" and "Lenswood" were registered in 1998.
  • The French have a saying, « Pour la Saint-Gall, le raisin fait du mauvais vin. » or "For St. Gallen, the grapes make bad wine. "

September 14th - 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.

  • Dom Pierre Pérignon “inventor” of Champagne died in 1715.
  • Arthur Wellsley, 1st Duke of Wellington died today in 1852.  He was known by his soldiers as a man who could subsist on cold bread and meat but always drank the best wine.  Often and entire bottle with his meal. 
  • The Colline Saluzzesi DOC was created in 1996.  This wine region is located in the Cuneo section of Italy's Piedmont.
  • Happy California Wine Month!

September 2nd - 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.

  • The city council of Baza, Spain in 1521 banned the sale of wine in taverns to prevent drunkenness.
  • G.H. Mumm filed an application for a trademark in 1876.
  • The Australian Geographical Indication "McLaren Vale" was registered in 1997
  • Happy California Wine Month!

July 29th - This Date in Wine History

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Still life with bottle, two glasses, cheese and bread

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.

  • Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin Cliquot, the Veuve Cliquot, died in 1866.
  • Vincent van Gogh died in 1890.  He was famous for painting still life like Still Life Still life with Bottle, Two Glasses, Cheese and Bread.
  • Opening of the 1999 Fête des Vignerons (Winegrowers Festival) in Vevey, Switzerland.  The next fete will be in 2019.

April 18th - 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.

  • Today is the anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. As a result of the quake 30 million gallons of wine were destroyed.
  • The Monica di Cagliari DOC was created in 1979.
  • The Nasco Cagliari DOC was created in 1979.
  • The Bianco dell'Empolese DOC was established in 1989.
  • In 2007, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published the results of a recent joint study by the University of Reading and University of Cagliari that showed moderate consumptions of Champagne Mayhelp the brain cope with the trauma of stroke, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.

February 14th - This Date in Wine History

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Valentine's Qorkz

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.

  • Happy Valentine’s Day.  St. Valentine has no reference to wine history, but sweethearts often toast their love with wine or Champagne!  Cheers!
  • New Mexico's Mesilla Valley AVA was designated in 1985.
  • The Côte Roannaise AOC was named in 1994.

December 31st - This Date in Wine History

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HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM QORKZ!

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.

  • Saumur AOC was created in 1957.
  • Happy International Champagne Day!

November 3rd - This Date in Wine History

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St. Martin de Porres

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 1916, the Swedish schooner, the Jonkoping, heading for Finland was sunk by a German submarine. The ship was discovered and 2500 bottles of champagne were recovered and found to be in excellent condition.
  • It is the feast day of Saint Martin de Porres.  He is the patron saint of innkeepers who have poured many a dram of wine and whisky.