June 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.

• Leonhard Rauwolf was born in 1535.  He was a German physician, botanist and traveller known for his writings.  He describes his travels in Lebanon as

“The town of Tripoli is pretty large, full of people, and of good account, because of the great deposition of merchandises that are brought thither daily both by sea and land. It is situated in a pleasant country, near the promontory of the high mountain Libanus, in a great plain toward the sea-shore, where you may see abundance of vineyards, and very fine gardens, enclosed with hedges for the most part…”

• John Smith, English soldier and author died in 1631.  He helped establish the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia.  In 1609, while the colonists were approaching starvation, he bought food and wine on credit to feed them.
• The Aleatico di Gradoli DOC was created in 1972.
• Charles Mara paid $24,000 for a case of 1979 Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon.