About TDIWH

Wine is the focal point that connects many of our social traditions, rituals, and gatherings. Its symbolic value, as more than just a drink, has the power to honor celebration, joy, and religious practices.

Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.” – William Shakespeare.

However, its pervasiveness, breadth of variety, and multifaceted applications are the result of a long and tangled history.

Wine, like human civilization, has been through war, famine, economic booms and busts, legal disputes, and violent periods. Wine’s history is a story of humanity, for better or worse: its political conflicts, wars, and diseases, but also its celebrations, social practices, art, and culture.

This Day in Wine History is a digital archive that explores the relationship between wine and history for wine lovers, history buffs, and cultural enthusiasts all over the world.

This project connects the global wine-drinking community through a journal of articles, book recommendations, wine history resources, and merchandise that pairs poignant moments in wine history with each day of the year.

This diverse and enlightening project is founded in Oregon’s Pinot Noir country by award-winning author and theologian Ken Wytsma and his wife Tamara, a professional photographer and innovation specialist, and invites the wine community to indulge in the rich history behind this revered drink.

ken and tamara