October 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.

• Abraham van Riebeeck, Dutch merchant and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies was born in 1653 in what is now South Africa.  His father, Jan van Riebeeck, the founder of Cape Town produced the first known wine in South Africa.

• Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens died in 1678.  His painting, The King Drinks is a celebration of food, wine and merriment among family.

• Mike Ditka, famed Chicago Bear player and coach was born in 1939.  He partnered with Terlato Wines to produce Mike Ditka Wines.

• California's Benmore Valley AVA was designated in 1991.

• Vincent DeDomenico died in 2007.  He was an inventor of Rice-A-Roni and the founder of the Napa Valley Wine Train.

October 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.

• Saint Ivo of Kermartin was born in Tréguier in Brittany in 1253.  Even at the Sorbonne while other students partied, he refused to eat meat or drink wine.  His skull is kept in a reliquary in the cathedral of Tréguier.

• South African Golfer, Ernie Els was born in 1969.  He is also owner of Ernie Els Vineyards.

• The Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC, Carmignano DOC, San Vito di Luzzi DOC and Scavigna DOC were created in 1994.

• The French have a saying, « Quand Baudouin coupe le raisin, c'est mauvais pour le vin mais bon pour le chou : tout l'hiver, tu en auras goût. » or "When Baudouin cuts the grapes, it is bad for the wine but good for the cabbage: all the winter, you will taste. " 

October 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.

• Marie Antoinette, whose breasts are rumored to be the model of the shape of the champagne coupe was executed in 1793.

• The SS  America left Bremen bound for Baltimore with 225 barrels of wine in 1889.

• Joachim von Ribbentrop was executed in 1946.  A German wine merchant, he became Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs under Adolf Hitler.  He was found guilty of Crimes Against Humanity during the Nuremberg trials and hanged.

• 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. "

October 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.

• Virgil born today in 70 BCE wrote the Georgics, whose second volume deals with viticulture matters and includes a description of early ice wines.

• Flemish painter, Simon de Vos, died in 1676.  His paintings often depict people at social gatherings with wine, such as the “Wedding at Cana” and “Gathering of Smokers and Drinkers”.

• Mata Hari the Dutch courtesan, dancer and spy was executed by firing squad in 1917.  While she was awaiting execution she was brought a steady supply of champagne and meals from nearby restaurants.

• ‘Red Red Wine’ by UB40 was number 1 on the charts in 1988.

• Today is Pennsylvania Wine Day.

October 12th - 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.

• King Belshazzar of Babylon offers his guests wine from goblets taken from the temple in Jerusalem as the city falls to Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE

• The first Oktoberfest happened in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghhausen.  Tasting of wine and beer took place on the Theresienwiese.

• The 1824 Reflections on the Works of God, and on his Providence by Christopher Christian Sturm describes wine as a “Present of the Divine Goodness, which should excite our warmest gratitude.”

• Helena Modjeska was born in 1840.  She and a small group of Polish artists and aristocrats emigrated to Anaheim, California to create a colony based on Brooks Farm.  They grew muscat grapes which no one would buy but stole… The colony failed and Modjeska returned to the theater but created her home at Arden in Anaheim until 1906.

• Bonforts Wine & Spirits Circular reports that it is anticipated that Champagne will produce a small yield for the 1888 vintage.  This is due a snow and heavy frost in October 1887.

October 6th - 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.

• English Protestant martyr, Rowland Taylor was born in 1510.  He was a supporter of Lady Jane Grey who was overthrown by Mary.   He tried and found guilty of heresy for objecting to the doctrine of transubstantiation where bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  He was burned at the stake.

• John MacCulloch, Scottish geologist and Doctor who introduced the word Malaria into the English language was born in 1773.  He was the son of a wine merchant who returned to England after the French Revolution.

• The Poissardes, also known as the Dames de la Halle forced the King and Queen to leave Versailles for Paris in 1789. These women who had arrived the previous day were said to be the vilest refuse of their sex and were drunk with wine and fury.

• Thomas Jefferson was sent a bill for Portuguese wines from Tonmo and Bocallos wine and regrets that he did not accept the Oeiras wine.  Also included fruit and almonds as gifts.

• E.R. Budden of London, received English Patent 15,790 in 1890 for an Improved Method of and Apparatus for Maturing Wines and like Beverages.

October 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.

• Denis Diderot, French philosopher and writer and editor of Encyclopédie was born in 1713.  A government critic he was incarcerated in the fortress of Vincennes.  He was allowed only one book, Paradise Lost which he made notes in using a toothpick and slate scrapings mixed with wine as ink.

• Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont, referred to as the Chevalier d’Éon was born in 1728.  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.

• Anaheim, California was founded in 1857 by 50 German-Americans who had formed the Anaheim Vineyard Company.

• Bonfort’s Wine and Spirits Circular indicates that the cargo ship Emilie left the port of Lisbon bound for NYC with a cargo of wine in 1887.

• California's San Benito AVA was designated in 1987.

October 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.

• Louis X of France was born in 1289.  He was an avid player of jeu de paume, also called real tennis and died after an exhausting match and drinking a large quantity of cooled wine.

• The California Agricultural Experiment Station received a shipment of Mondeuse grapes from the J. Gallegos, Experimental Pot, Mission San José in 1889.  The grapes were in good condition, if overripe and were crushed the same day.  

• California's Fiddletown  and Paso Robles AVAs were designated in 1983.

• Washington's Puget Sound AVA was designated in 1995.

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 and what he refers to as a “Portugal million” (melon) 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. "

October 2nd - This Date in Wine History

Photo from Ursula Brühl, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof - 76833 Siebeldingen, GERMANY

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.

• Richard III of England was born in 1452.  During  his reign he established a law outlawing the shorting customers in the sales of wine or oil.

• Charles Albert, King of Sardinia was born in 1798.  At the time of his reign Sardinia included parts of southern France, Monaco and the northern part of the Italian mainland.  When Austria increased the customs duty on Piedmontese wine, the king threatened to build a railroad from Genoa to Lake Maggiore to capture the German market.

• Actress, Lorraine Bracco was born in 1954.  She is known for Good Fellas and The Sopranos.  She is also owner of Bracco Wines in Tuscany.

• Commanderia, an ancient wine that has been described since 800BCE was protected by the Cypriot government in 2002. It holds a PDO in Europe, Canada and the United States and is the distinction of being the world's oldest named wine still in production.  The name comes from the Templar Knights.

October 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.

• Alexander the Great defeated Darius II in the Battle of Gaugamela in 331.  Within a year he would be dead having drunk wine poisoned with Hellebore after an evening and day of drinking at Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon (people have conjectured).

• Shah Abbas I of Persia began his reign in 1588.  There are paintings of the Shah being handed wine to drink despite Islams prohibitions against it.

• Today is the feast day of St. Nicetius.  He was Bishop of Trier in Germany and replanted vineyards in the Moselle to restore the wine industry.

• Wine Region of Madeira was created in 1908.

September 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.

• Jamal ad-Din Rumi, Muslim poet, jurist, scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic was born in 1207.  He wrote:

On the seeker’s path, wise men and fools are one.

In His love, brothers and strangers are one. 

Go on! Drink the wine of the Beloved!

In that faith, Muslims and pagans are one.

-Quatrain 305

• Henry IV was proclaimed King of England in 1399.  His coronation banquet began with two wine based soups: Braun en peuerarde (made with spiced wine) and Viaund Ryal (made of almond milk and wine).

• Marie Antonia Siegelinda Martha Seubert, better known as Lil Dagover, a German actress was born in 1887.  Her career ranged from silent films to the late 1970s and included the movie, Red Roses, Red Lips, Red Wine.

• Sauternes AOC was created in 1936.

• Happy California Wine Month!

September 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.

• Queen Elizabeth I on her way to Tilbury Fort 1589 dined on roast goose and Burgundy wine. She fed so heartily that she required an extra half pint of Burgundy with which she drank to the destruction of the Spanish Armada.

• Henri of Artois, Count of Chambord was born in 1820.  His mother named him for Henri IV and similarly baptized him with a spoon of wine and garlic.

• Les Claypool of the band Primas was born in 1963.  He owns Claypool Cellars in the Russian River Valley.

• Happy California Wine Month!

• The French have a saying, “Entre Saint-Michel et Saint-François, prends ta vendange telle qu'elle est ; à Saint-Denis, prends-la si elle y est encore.” or “Between Saint-Michel (today) and Saint-François (October 4), harvest your grapes if they are ready; at Saint-Denis (October 9), take them if they are still there.”

September 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 anniversary of the death of Walter, abbott of Westminster, who died in 1191. The celebration was required to provide 5 gallons of wine for each friar attending.

• Jean François Champollion deciphers the Rosetta Stone.  It contains records from Ptolemy V including donations of wine to temples and vineyard harvests.

• Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra enjoy the #1 hit Blue Champagne in 1941.

• Valle de Guimar DOC was created 1996.

• Happy California Wine Month!

September 26th - This Date at 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 Gentleman's and London Magazine: Or Monthly Chronologer of 1754 contains a Description of a Modern Club from Mr. Fitz-Adam, where he complains about the useless ways Gentlemen in London wasted their time with disputing wines and drinking to other’s health, etc.

• Thomas Volney Munson, creator of phylloxera-resistant rootstocks was born in 1843 .

• Arkansas' Arkansas Mountain AVA was designated in 1986.

• Paul Newman of Newman's Own, which includes a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon died in 2008 in Westport, CT.

• Happy California Wine Month!

September 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.

• “Wine, Women And Loud Happy Songs" (Larry Kingston) and recorded by Ringo Starr was released in 1970

• Spain's Terra Alta DO was created in 1985

• The Cirò DOC was created in 1989

• It is the feast day of Saint Cadoc.  An Angel announced his birth and a well sprang from his baptism and flowed with wine and milk.

• Happy California Wine Month!

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 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.

• Suzanne Valadon, artist model and painter was born in 1865.  She was the subject of the Toulouse Lautrec painting, The Hangover.

• Cotes-du-Vivarais AOC was named in 1999.  These wines are produced in the French department of the Ardéche.

• Juniperro Serra who brought the first cuttings of vitis vinifera to Northern California was canonized in 2015.

• It is the feast of St. Thecla.  A disciple of St. Paul, Thecla was repeatedly imprisoned for refusing the advances of various men she encountered as she followed Paul.  Eventually, she retreated to cave and was known as a healer. Doctors nearby, drunk on wine tried to rape her but she was saved as the cave sealed itself protecting her from a fate worse than death.

• Happy California Wine Month!

September 22nd - 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 Cleves was born in 1515.  An episode of Blackadder, Lord Blackadder notes that his father ran through the family fortune on "... on wine, women and amateur dramatics until he had to make out a living by doing humorous impressions of Anne of Cleves”.

• In 1598 Playwright Ben Johnson killed actor Gabriel Spencer in a duel and was indicted for manslaughter.  He was acquitted. Ben Jonson, the English poet was born in 1572.  After the death of Henry IV of France, Jonson decided to re-join the Church of England and showed his renunciation of the Catholic faith by drinking a full chalice of Communion wine which at the time was supposed to only be drunk by the priests.  Also Drink to me only with thy eye and I will drink with mine… Or leave a kiss within the cup and I’ll not ask for wine.  To Celia…

• In 1794 this was the first day of the month of Vendémiaire in the French Revolutionary calendar. The day translates as grape day during the grape harvest month.

• It is one of the 3 feast days for Saint Phocas, the patron saint of farmers.

• Happy California Wine Month!

September 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.

• Virgil who died in 19 BCE wrote the Georgics, whose second volume deals with viticulture matters and includes a description of early ice wines.

• Edward II of England died in 1327  His wedding feast with Isabella of France was celebrated with a fountain filled with spiced wine.

• Winston Cup winner, Richard Childress was born in 1945.  He owns Childress Vineyards in Yadkin Valley, North Carolina.

• Happy California Wine Month!

• The French have a saying, “ À la Saint-Matthieu, cueille le raisin si tu veux.” or At St. Matthew, pick the grapes if you like

• Happy International Grenache Day