October 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.

• In 1661 Samuel Pepys spent the evening at the Mitre with friends drinking wine he refers to as a “Portugal million” then later complains of a headache due to drinking too much wine.
• The Monteregio of Massa Marittima DOC was established in 1994.
• The French have a saying, « À la Saint-Gérard, du vin fait bon marc. » or "At Saint-Gérard (Day), wine makes good marc. " (Marc is a brandy made from pomace, the remnants of grapes after pressing).

September 24th - 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.

• In 1716 Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici issued the first definition of what wines could be called Chianti.
• French oenologist, Pierre Viala, was born in 1859. He was an expert in adapting American rootstock for French vineyards.
• Spain's Cariñena DO was designated in 2002.  These wines are produced in the Aragón province.
• Happy California Wine Month!
• The French have a saying, “À la Saint-Gérard, du vin fait bon marc.” or “At St. Gérard, wine makes good marc brandy”.

September 15th - 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 movie, Wine of Youth was released in 1924.
• Sherry, by The Four Seasons hits number one in the US.
• It is International Grenache Day.
• Happy California Wine Month!
• The French have a saying, “La rosée de Saint-Albin est, dit-on, rosée de vin.” or The dew of St. Albin is, it is said dewy with wine.

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!

August 1st - 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.

• Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland died in 1714.  A political opponent once wrote of a statue of her, “it was fitting she was depicted with her rump to the church, gazing longingly into a wineshop”.
• Germany's Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) is renamed Prädikatswein in 2007
• There is an old French saying “S’il pleut le jour de la Saint-Pierre, la vinée réduit du tiers,” or approximately “If it rains on the Festival of the Liberation of Saint Peter, the wine will be reduced by a third”

July 31st - 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 Bourgueil AOC was created in 1937.  The area is located in the Loire and uses the Cabernet Franc grape.
• The Aversa DOC was created in 1993.  The wine is made in Campania about 3 miles north of Naples and is made from Asprinio grape.
• The Rosso Orvietano DOC was established in 1998.  This red wine can be made from many red grape varietals so long as they contain at least 70% of Aleatico, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sangiovese.
• Spain's Rueda DO was created in 2002.  These wines come from 72 communities in Castile and Leon and made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Tempranillo, Verdejo and Viura.
• It is the feast of St. Germain d’Auxerre.  There is a French saying, “S’il pleut à la Saint-Germain, c’est comme s’il pleuvait du vin”or (more or less) “Rain on Saint Germain’s day is like wine”.