April 1, 1923: On this day, Miljenko Grgich was born in Desne, Croatia. Grgich is famous for crafting Chardonnay wine that beat the best of French wines during the 1976 Judgement of Paris blind tasting. Grgich has been influential in California and United States wine industry. He is passionate about quality wines, and his Grgich Hills Estate has become a premier winery. He has also improved California’s wine production by introducing new techniques, including malolactic fermentation and cold sterilization.

April 1, 1952: On this day, Vincent Bolloré was born. He is one of France’s wealthiest businesspeople. The Bolloré investing business, of which Bolloré is the chairman and CEO, owns a number of wine properties, including Domaine de la Bastide Blanche and Domaine de la Croix, in addition to its assets in plantations, media, and transportation.

April 1, 1976: On this day, the San Diego-based tabloid Wine Spectator was launched. The publication was acquired by Marvin Shanken three years later, and since then it has grown into one of the world’s most widely read and respected publications on wine.

April 1, 2001: On this day, Argentinian winery Bodega Catena Zapata inaugurated its new facilities which were designed to resemble a Mayan pyramid. With the ability to take advantage of the best wine regions in the province of Mendoza, Catena Zapata has been able to compete with the best wines in the world.

April 1, 2019: On this day, Quinta da Aveleda announced its new investment in the Portuguese region of Algarve with the aim of producing rosé wines. Since its establishment in 1870, Quinta da Aveleda has been producing wines of several unique Portuguese appellations such as Vinho Verde, and today it exports wine to more than 70 countries while following sustainable policies.

For more dates in wine history, click here.