April 27, 1862: The Indian Indenture Act was repealed. The law, passed during the 1850s gold rush, which allowed white men to call for the arrest of any Native American who were perceived as acting against the public order. At which point they would be auctioned for their labor in a system of debt-based servitude. This unethically enforced labor was instrumental in the growth of the wine industry at the time.

April 27, 1944: On this day, Daniel Cathiard, the owner of Château Smith Haut Lafitte was born. Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan region. The winery and vineyards are located in the commune of Martillac, south of Bordeaux.

April 27, 1955: The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) was founded. The wine and grape industries in Australia have a local research organization. Through top-notch research, useful solutions, and information transfer, it supports a profitable and sustainable grape and wine business. The AWRI is managed by a Board with expertise drawn from the industry and is housed within the Waite Research Precinct in Adelaide’s Wine Innovation Cluster. The AWRI’s operations are governed by its goal and objectives, a plan for research, development, and extension that has the support of industry, and an internal business plan. The organization’s business division, AWRI Commercial Services, offers paid advanced analytical and consulting services.

April 27, 1961: On this day, World Marselan Day was first celebrated. Paul Truel invented the Marselan grape in 1961, and we commemorate one of his greatest achievements on April 27th, Truel’s birthday. Before his death in 2014, Truel developed nearly a dozen new grape types and was an enthusiastic wine researcher, producing several classic publications on wine grapes.

April 27, 2022: On this day, Home Winemaker Depot made its 50th anniversary in its contribution to wine making.

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