December 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.

  • The future Henri IV was born in Pau, Navarre in 1533.  He is said to have been baptised with a spoon of wine and garlic.
  • Sir Francis Drake begins his round the world voyage in 1577.  During the trip he stopped in Valaparaiso, Chile where he captured a ship of Chilean wine.
  • Giovanni Del-Monico, a Swiss Wine Merchant and his brother Pietro open Delmonico & Brother Café 1827.
  • Pierre Marie Alexis Millardet who saved the vineyards of France from phylloxera was born in 1838.
  • The Cacc'e mmitte di Lucera DOC was created in 1975.
  • The Moscato di Sardegna DOC was created in 1979.
  • Portugal's Alto Douro Wine Region was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001.