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.

• San Marino the world’s oldest republic still in existence was founded in 301 by Saint Marinus.  Their leading agricultural exports are wine and cheese.
• 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.
• Happy California Wine Month!

September 2nd - 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.

• Francesco Landini, an Italian musician and instrument maker died in 1397.  One of the records that has survived about him are receipts for wine drunk by himself and Andreas da Florentia over the time tuned an organ.
• 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!

September 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.

• Nicholas Breakspear known as #Pope #AdrianIV died in 1159  when he #choked on a #fly in his #wine
• Louis François Joseph de Bourbon later Prince de Conti was born in 1734. He inherited the Romanée- Conti vineyard from his father and owned it until the National Convention stripped him of his property in 1793.
• The Dolcetto d'Acqui DOC, Dolcetto d'Ovada DOC and the Freisa d'Asti DOC were created in 1972.  These wine regions are all located in Italy’s Piedmont region.  Also in 1972 the Monica di Sardegna DOC was created.
• Happy California Wine Month!
• The French have a saying, “En septembre, la bruine, est toujours bonne à la vigne” or loosely, “September drizzles are always good to the vineyard.”

August 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.

• Charles Baudelaire, a French poet, essayist and translator of Edgar Allan Poe died in Paris in 1867 at the age of 46. His poetry contained thematic elements including: sex, death, lesbianism, sacred and profane love, metamorphosis, melancholy, correction of the city, lost innocence, oppressiveness of living and wine.
• Per Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular shows that the ship, Martello left the port of Hull in 1887, loaded with wine bound for NYC.
• Len Evans, Australia’s leading ambassador of wine, was born in 1930.
• The Trebbiano di Romagna DOC was created in 1973.  The grape known as Trebbiano in Italy is referred to as Ugni Blanc in France.
• Missouri's Ozark Highlands AVA was designated in 1987.

August 30th - 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.

• Joseph Dennie, American author and journalist was born in 1768.  He was a Federalist who also published under the names Oliver Oldschool, Academicus and Sociais.  He was described as having health trouble throughout his life as well as a predilection for wine.
• Agoston Haraszthy, the "Father of California Viticulture" and founder of Buena Vista Vineyards was born in 1812
• The Pharmaceutical Journal for 1873 provided a general recipe for Iodine wine which is made by fermented grape juice in contact with powdered marine plants. 
• The Mississippi Delta AVA was designated in 1984.
• It is the feast day of St. Fiacre. He is the patron saint of gardeners.  
• Happy International Cabernet Day!

August 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.

• John the Baptist is thought to have been beheaded in 28/9AD.  A drunk King Herod promised the head of his stepdaughter Salome after she danced for him. John publicly reproved both Herod and Herodius for divorcing their spouses and then marrying each other. 
• William Cobbett in a letter to his Political Register dated 1818 indicates that claret wine costs only ten pence per quart while a similar amount would cost six to eight shillings.
• Stricter wine purity laws were passed in 1985 by the Austrian government in the wake of the scandal surrounding diethylene glycol contaminated wines.
• Coteaux de Saumur AOC was revised in 2002.  These wines semi-sweet and made of Chenin Blanc.

August 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.

• Jane Howard, second wife of  Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk died in 1693.  She was born Jane Bickerton, daughter of Robert Bickerton, Gentleman of the Wine Cellar for Charles II.
• Junipero Serra who brought the first cuttings of vitis vinifera to Northern California died in 1784.
• The Italian wine designation Malvasia of Casorzo d'Asti DOC was created in 1968.
• The Italian wine designation Sardinia Semidano DOC was established in 1995.
• The Italian wine designation Vin Santo del Chianti DOC was created in 1997.
• Foster’s Brewing of Australia bought Beringer Wine of Napa California in 2000.
• The Australian wine indication High Eden wine region was registered in 2001.

August 27th - 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 Roman festival of Volturnalia was celebrated. dedicated to Jupitur Volturnus, god of the waters and fountains is celebrated with feasting and wine drinking at the pools near the temple of Vesta.
• Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian died in 1576.  He is famous for painting red-haired women.  He also painted the Bacchanale of the Andrians and Supper at Emmaus. 
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel the German philosopher was born in 1770.  At one point in his career, he became the tutor for a wine merchant’s family in Frankfurt.
• The Internal Revenue Record and Customs Journal issued an opinion on the duty regarding the importation of glass wine bottles known as brown hocks. in 1872.
• Eric Burdon & War’s song, ‘Spill The Wine’ hit number 1 on the charts in 1970.

August 26th - 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 was born in 1676.  He proposed that the tariff on wine and tobacco be replaced by an excise tax.  Revenues had fallen due to smuggling.
• Percy T. Morgan of the California Wine Association sent a telegraphic dispatch to John W. Yerkes, Commissioner of Internal Revenue to complain about the regulations on fortified sweet wine.
• Gala Dalí was born in 1894. She was the wife of artist, Salavador Dalí who  created a wine book, The Wines of Gala, as well as a cookbook, The Dinners of Gala in her honor.
• The Coteaux-du-Loir  AOC was named in 1946. It is located in Sarthe and Indre-et-Loire and uses mainly the Chenin Blanc and Pineau d’Aunis.

August 25th - 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.

• Pliny the Elder 1st century AD naturalist and author of the Roman encyclopedia Naturalis Historia (Natural History) that discusses viticulture methods, died in A.D. 79.
• James Douglas, Lord Douglas died in 1330.  He is known for the Douglas Larder.  Douglas troops were hidden until the local garrison left for mass on Palm Sunday.  The troops burst into the church dragged the garrison out beheaded them and burned them on the wood from destroyed wine casks.
• Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular reports that the ship Powhatan left the Port of Geneo for New York City in 1887 loaded with wine.
• It is the feast day of St. Louis IX.  He is a patron saint of distillers.

August 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.

• Henri, Count of Chambord, pretender to the French throne died in 1883.  He was named for Henri IV by his mother in the hopes that he would be King of France and was even baptized like his name sake with wine and garlic.  (He never became King of France).
• Crement d'Alsace was named an AOC in 1976.
• California's York Mountain AVA was designated in 1983.
• It is the feast day of St. Ouen of Rouen.  He is a patron saint of innkeepers who have poured their fair share of wine.

August 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.

• The London Public Record office records receipt of delivery of 12 pipes of Canary wine at Potomac Landing in 1633.
• The Muniments of the Royal Burgh of Irvine for 1681 lists payments for 9 mutchkins of claret between Bayliffe John Mountgomrie and Edward and Robert Wallaces.
• The 1894 records of the Ohio Dairy and Food Commissioner describes the case of the State v. Casper J. Vandrau who was charged with with selling grape wine adulterated by benzoic acid.  Vandrau pled guilty.
• It is the feast day of St. Rose of Lima.  She is a patron of gardeners.  No gardens?  No wine.

August 22nd - 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.

• Agoston Haraszthy on a fact-finding mission for the State of California had a conversation with a clergyman in Germany about vines and vineyards and the use of hydraulic pressing for wine grapes.
• Dorothy Parker, who once memorable said, "Three be the things I shall never attain: envy, content and sufficient champagne" was born in 1893.
• The American Wine Company in St. Louis Missouri received a trademark in 1905 for their sparkling wine.
• Eric Burdon & War’s song, ‘Spill The Wine’ hit number 3 on the charts in 1970.
• The Cisterna d'Asti DOC was created in 2002.  These wines are produced around the town of Cisterna d’Asti and is made with the Croatina grape.

August 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.

• Wine, a silent film starring Clara Bow opened in 1924.
• German winemaker, Egon Müller was born in 1959.
• The Controguerra DOC was created in 1996.
• Spain's Arabako Txakolina-Txakolí de Álava DO was created in 2002.
• The French have a saying, « S'il pleut à la Saint-Bernard, tu peux dire adieu à ton vin.» or "If it's raining in the Saint-Bernard, you can say goodbye to your wine. "

August 19th - 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 Roman Festival of Vinalia Rustica, celebrating the grape harvest was celebrated.
• Marcus Aurelius Probus who lifted the ban on vineyard planting in the Roman Empire was born in 232.
• Elizabeth Stuart was born in 1596.  After her marriage to Frederick V, Prince of Palatine and the Rhine, they began their journey to Heidelberg, meeting people from his kingdom and sampling local foods and wines.
• Edmond James de Rothschild, father of the modern Israeli wine industry was born in 1845.
• Junta Nacional do Vinho was created in 1937.
• Southern Flinders Ranges was entered into the Register of Protected Names by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corp. in 2003.

August 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.

• St. Fiacre of Breuil died in 670. He is the patron saint of gardeners.
• The Siege of Málaga ended in 1487.  This was part of the Reconquista of Moorish Spain, specifically the Emirate of Granada.  The Spanish victors brought “legal” wine back to Málaga.
• Pope Alexander VI dies after drinking poisoned wine in 1503. 
• Virginia Dare, the first English child in the New world was born in 1587.  She disappeared with the rest of the Roanoke Island settlers.  There is a winery named in her honor.
• Hacienda de San Lorenzo, the first winery in the Americas was begun in 1597 by Don Lorenzo Garcia in Santa María de las Parras, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico
• The cornerstone for Waddesdon Manor was laid in 1877.  Built by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild it contains a reproduction of the wine cellar at Château Lafite Rothschild and contains more than 15,000 bottles.  The largest private collection of Rothschild wines in the world.
• Bond girl, Carole Bouquet was born in 1957.  She is owner of Sangue d’oro winery in Sicily, Italy.
• California's Anderson Valley and Willow Creek AVAs were designated in 1983.

August 17th - 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.

• Cesare Borgia resigns the cardinalate in 1498, later that day he is named Duke of Valentinous.  He is best thought of as someone who poisoned the wine of his enemies.
• Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh set sail for an expedition to the Azores in 1597.  The Earl of Essex was given royal monopoly on sweet wines by Queen Elizabeth.
• Joseph II Holy Roman Emperor allowed residents to sell home made wine, juice and food products Heurigen or Austrian wine inns were created by Imperial decree in 1784. Fir trees hung above the door alerted customers to the arrival of the new season's wine.
• Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 in Jamaica.  He was a founder of Pan-Africanism, the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the Black Star Line.  The Black Star Line owned vineyards in Ethiopia to produce fine wines for their voyages.
• Len Evans, Australia’s leading ambassador of wine, died in 2006.

August 16th - 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.

• Agostino Carracci, an Italian painter was born in 1557.  One of his most famous works is of the Last Supper of Christ.
• St. John Bosco was born in 1815.  During his youth he worked at the vineyard of Louis Moglia to earn month for his education.
• Hugo Gernsbacher, Luxembourgish-American inventor, writer, editor and publisher and father of Science Fiction was born in 1884.  He is the son of a winemaker.
• Fess Parker, film and tv actor and winemaker was born in 1924.
• The Bagnoli di Sopra or Bagnoli DOC designation was established in 1995.  It is located in the Veneto region.
• The French have a saying, “À la Saint-Roch, grande chaleur prépare vin de couleur,” or (loosely) “Hot weather on St. Roch’s day, gives wine good color”.

August 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 city of Vardzia was consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia in 1237.  The cave city was home to 25 wine cellars with 185 wine jars buried in the floor.
• Gabriel Báthory was born in 1589.  A prince of Transylvania,  he spent his teenaged years under the guardianship of his uncle, Stephen Báthory where he spent his days drinking wine and having affair with his aunt.
• French oenologist, Alfred de Vergnette de Lamotte, best know for his work on wine preservation, is named a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in 1869. 
• Barossa Valley and Eden Valley were entered into the Register of Protected Names by the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation in 1997.
• The Australian Geographical Indication “Robe" was registered in 2006.
• Fête du Vin à Madiran ends.

August 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.

• John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford was born in 1499.  He was considered a wastrel and was ordered by Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey to be restricted to his hunting lodge, restricted his household size and was ordered to, “moderate his excessive hunting, drink less wine, not stay up late, eat less meat, and forbear excessive and superfluous apparel.”
• Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was born in 1642.  Among his accomplishments was the establishment of the Chianti wine region.
• Oregon Territory was created in 1848.  The territory now contains the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana.  There are bonded wineries in all of those states.
• Wine educator, Michel Dovaz was born in 1928.
• Fête du Vin à Madiran begins.