April 4, 1925: On this day, George Remus was nicknamed the “King of the Bootleggers” in Chicago. George Remus, born in Germany but reared in Chicago, would establish himself as a prominent defense attorney in the Windy City after beginning his career as a pharmacist. Remus, ever the opportunist, traveled to Cincinnati and utilized his knowledge of pharmaceuticals and the law to uncover loopholes in the Volstead Act. These loopholes enabled him to distribute to the general public under pretext that it was needed for “medical purposes.”

April 4, 1953: On this day, The Bonny Doon Vineyard was founded by Californian winemaker Randall Grahm. In California, he is most known for his groundbreaking work with Rhone varietals and for having popularized the use of screw closures on expensive wines. He was a big promoter of terroir wines, biodynamic cultivation, and transparent ingredient labeling on bottled wines.

April 4, 1983: On this day, Yakima Valley AVA was certified and established. It was the first viticultural area in Washington state, and to this day is responsible for nearly half of the grapes used to produce the state’s wine.

April 4, 1995: Champagne Indage was recognized as it started its exportation in the international market on this day. It is crucial to recognize the contributions that Sham Chougule and his Indage firms have made to the establishment of the present period of wine production in India. The first Indage vineyard was planted in 1979 using French varietals at Narayangaon in the Sahyadri region in Maharashtra. Champagne Indage was established in 1982 to produce sparkling wine for export, with Piper-Heidsieck providing the company with technical help.

April 4, 2003: On this day, the Pennsylvania Premium Wine Group was formed by 14 wineries in the state and created a Pennsylvania Quality Assurance (PQA) certification system. To obtain a PQA seal, the wine must be manufactured according to specified quality standards and approved by a professional tasting panel.

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